According to the U.S. Government Accounting Office, about 1 in 4 college students (23%) report experiencing food insecurity. This means they do not know where their next meal will come from, and they struggle to purchase groceries. In all of Johnson County, approximately 1 in 10 people are food insecure.
The holidays are often a time for gratitude, sharing meals with loved ones, and celebrating together. But when paying for food is a hardship, those members of the community who struggle to meet their daily food needs are sometimes overlooked. That’s where services like Johnson County Community College’s Student Basic Needs Center (SBNC) can help.
JCCC’s Student Basic Needs Center
To combat student hunger, JCCC provides food support (and more) for our students who need it through the SBNC.
“Food and housing insecurity is a real issue for many college students,” says Robbie Miller, Coordinator of the Student Basic Needs Center. “Sometimes, students have to choose between paying rent, buying food, paying tuition, or purchasing books. By offering a safe, welcoming place that offers help to students who are navigating hardships, we hope to alleviate some of the stress so our students can stay healthy, focused, and able to continue pursuing their goals.”
The SBNC’s mission is to provide information and resources to offset the hardships that affect students’ ability to complete their academic, career, and personal goals. Resources include:
- Cav Cupboard
- The Student Assistance Fund
- Housing and transportation assistance, social services support
- A technology loan program where students can borrow laptops and hotspots
Learn more about the SBNC’s resources for JCCC students.
Cav Cupboard
JCCC students have access to free food and household items through Cav Cupboard. Students can visit once a week to gather nonperishable, refrigerated, and frozen foods, as well as common household items like bath products, toilet paper, diapers, and laundry detergent. If students wish to shop privately, they can make an appointment to shop after hours.
Learn more about Cav Cupboard.
Season of Giving
Get into the holiday spirit and support JCCC students who deal with food insecurity at JCCC’s “Christmas at the Caboose” at 6 p.m. Friday, December 6, at the National Academy of Railroad Sciences (NARS) caboose at JCCC.
The evening will include a caboose lighting and a food drive to collect donations for the Student Basic Needs Center, plus free hot cocoa and cookies. The Center seeks unopened, nonexpired food items to help students celebrate the holidays like:
- Pie crust
- Canned pumpkin
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Cranberry sauce
- Stuffing mix
- Shelf-stable potatoes
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup
- Dried onions
- Canned green beans and other vegetables
- Gravy
- Macaroni & cheese
- Cooking oil
- Flour
- Sugar
- Bread
- Peanut butter
- Seasonings and spices
Can’t make it to this event? The Student Basic Needs Center is accepting holiday food donations through December 21. Community members can email the Student Basic Needs Center or call 913-469-8500 ext. 3757 to arrange drop-off.
Community members can also donate throughout the year through the JCCC Foundation or purchase items on the Student Basic Needs Center’s Amazon Wish List. Items purchased from the wish list are sent directly to the Center to help ensure the shelves in the Cav Cupboard are stocked with things our students need most.
