Feb. 27, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College student-athletes are teaming up with Student Life to support students challenged by food insecurity and collect food donations at upcoming basketball games.
Spectators who bring two or more food items to the Thursday, March 2 games against Delta College will be given free popcorn at the concessions stand. The women’s team plays at 5:30 p.m., and the men’s team takes the floor at 7:30 p.m.
Free popcorn also will be available for students, faculty and staff who donate two items or more earlier in the day, between 12:30 and 3 p.m. in the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse.
All of the food items will be donated to the GRCC Food Pantry, which has served thousands of students since the start of the pandemic.
“Our student-athletes strive to be leaders on and off the court, and care very much about our campus community,” Athletic Director Lauren Ferullo said. “It’s important for us to all support our campus food pantry. But we also need to raise awareness of the problem of food insecurity and how it affects our students.”
GRCC’s Food Pantry and snack pantries are designed to meet the immediate food needs of its students on campus by providing a variety of non-perishable food items and basic necessities to students and their families.
GRCC’s Food Pantry is located in the Student Center, and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Students can visit the pantry weekly. Students can register in the Student Life Office.
There are 10 snack pantries located across campus, providing grab-and-go options including granola bars and microwavable soups. They are maintained in partnership by Student Life, the English department, Psi Beta, Counseling and Career Development, Library and Learning Commons and the Tassell M-TEC. The Snack Pantries do not require registration and food is provided when available.
Information is available at grcc.edu/foodpantry.
Students can connect with additional campus and community resources at grcc.edu/gethelp.
The food drive is part of a conference-wide effort organized by the Michigan Community College Athletic Association.