GRANITEVILLE, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – Aiken Technical College received a grant from the Community Foundation of the CSRA to create a new student-centered food pantry.

The ATC Foundation received $13,500 to turn the unused cafeteria space into the pantry, add appliances and storage and stock food items.

“The ATC Foundation is grateful for the Community Foundation’s support as it shows a commitment to meeting students’ basic needs so that they can be successful in the classroom and successfully enter the regional workforce,” said ATC Foundation Director Beth LaClair.

Golden Harvest is partnering with Aiken Tech for the pantry, the college said in a news release.

The campus food pantry is projected to open in August 2024.

Aiken Tech has had a Blessing Box on campus since 2019 and has seen increased usage, the college said.

The food pantry will increase access to nutritious and essential food items, said Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Melinda Rodgers.

“With an estimated one in three students experiencing food insecurity nationwide, according to the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, the Aiken Tech food pantry will serve as a crucial resource to ensure that no student goes hungry while pursuing their education,” said Rodgers. “It is another way that ATC can help students, especially those who are low-income, complete their program of study and thus rise out of situational and/or generational poverty, which is central to our mission of educational and workforce development.”

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