Finding Solutions: Kroger, Paine College partner to stop food insecurity
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - One large grocery chain is ing forces with historically black colleges and universities in honor of Black History Month.
Kroger teamed up with Paine College on Friday to ‘Pack the Pantry.’
They’re finding solutions to make sure students have what they need to silence their hunger and achieve their dreams.
It was all hands on deck as Kroger employees loaded more than $5,000 worth of food into the Paine Pantry.
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“I think it’s a great opportunity for us to help our community, our students because they are our future. They have so many things to stress out about and they should not stress about what am I going to eat for dinner or lunch,” said Fred McGhee, store manager at Kroger.
Jenease Horstead with Paine College says about 60 students utilize the panty each week and are able to come as much as they need to.
She says partnerships like this are needed.
“It helps us to reach more students and to provide more perishable foods for students. This partnership with Kroger is going to expand the pantry and make it bigger than we could ever have imagined,” said Horstead.
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She says most students who stay on campus have a meal plan, but the Paine Pantry allows them to have somewhere to go when the cafeteria is closed.
“Outside of those cafeteria hours, students are able to come to the pantry to sustain them after hours or on the weekends when the cafeteria is not open as often like during the week,” said Horstead.
This is something Kroger is doing at other HBCUs across Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama.
McGhee says he understands the struggles college students can have so being able to help in some way is rewarding.
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“Myself coming up as well was a struggle, putting myself through school and figuring out what I am going to eat and do this and that. So, giving back with Kroger to give back to our students of tomorrow and leaders of tomorrow is rewarding to say I was a part of that,” he said.
A study done a few years ago by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 23% of undergrads and 12% of graduate students experienced food insecurity.
The study went on to say that those numbers are higher at HBCUs.
The Paine Pantry is open to students, staff and faculty.
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