HutchCC Food Pantry Provides More Than Food

By Sarah Newberry
Staff writer
IG: @luv2dance43

What started as a simple need at Hutchinson Community College has turned into so much more.

When people think of a food pantry, they think of food banks or blessing boxes. Most of the food donated to food banks is often unwanted by the public, and the so-called poor receive the leftovers. Also, people might think one has to be poor to go to a food bank, and at HutchCC, that’s not always the case. The food pantry at HutchCC began as something no one would have ever guessed would help students in need.

“It started in 2023, when the Kansas Board of Regents made grant funds available to schools that either didn’t have a food pantry or wanted to build up a food pantry,” said Debbie Graber, a counselor at HutchCC.

When people think of using a food bank or pantry, they often believe they would never have to rely on such a resource, assuming their circumstances would never require it. Or they might be embarrassed to use such a resource. Food insecurity occurs more frequently than people realize.

“We knew all along that we had students who were food insecure and felt like the need was there and didn’t have the funds to get started,” Graber said.

Food insecurity is more common than people think. Some people often assume that college students are exempt, but they’re not.

“We also realized once we got started that there were probably more instructors who were providing food for students in their classrooms than what we were really aware of,” Graber said.

The food pantry is a resource for students, and they don’t have to have exceptional situations to use it.

“Any and all HutchCC students can use the pantry, so if you’re enrolled in HutchCC credits, you qualify to use the food pantry,” said Bailey Goodman, a counselor at HutchCC.

The food pantry at HutchCC isn’t like a traditional food bank or pantry.

“We don’t have a qualifying process, and we ask that students be respectful,” Graber said.

The food pantry offers a wide variety of items, with the most visible portion located at the Rimmer Learning Resource Center. There’s more than food offered.

“We have food products, hygiene products, feminine hygiene, school supplies, household stuff, toilet paper, and bedding …We’ve got a little bit of everything,” Graber said.

Most of the items there are suitable for when students are studying. There are also other places available to access the pantry.

“We also have a small pantry at Allied Health, and we have some food available at our McPherson outreach center, and Lockman Hall,” Graber said.

The pantry also offers meal kits for anyone who signs up, giving students a leg up to help them succeed in school.

“It provides them a couple of extra hours to study, if they get a meal bundle each week, it might save them one less hour of a shift,” Goodman said.

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