Mat-Su College Students Partner with the Mat-Su Food Bank
Contributed by Nick McDermott
Mat-Su College (MSC) is excited to announce that starting September 9th, students will be able to show their student ID cards at the Mat-Su Food Bank (MSFB) to pick up specially created food boxes.
This project is being led by MSC Student Government members who reached out to the Food Bank last semester with a plan to help food-insecure students. This week, students went to the MSFB to help put food boxes together (photos available). It is estimated that between 100 to 200 boxes will be given out to students monthly.
A study by Public Health Nutrition found that food-insecure students are 42% less likely to graduate and this year an estimated 60-percent of MSC students received federal aid to attend college. Student Government President Amber Godin says “It’s hard to be a successful student on an empty stomach. We want our fellow students to be able to focus on their next class and not worry about their next meal.”
While at the Food Bank, staff members will also be able to offer students additional support services.The Mat-Su Food Bank is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 1pm and is located in Wasilla at 5099 East Blue Lupine Drive. Ready-to-eat snacks will be available in the MSC Student Government office located on campus in room JKG 114. Also, some toiletries will be available in campus restrooms.
Funds for this project were provided by a grant from the Mat-Su Health Foundation. Contact Nick McDermott at 907-891-1343 to arrange interviews with MSC students, faculty or staff. Fred Becker, Executive Director for the Mat-Su Food Bank can be reached at 907-440-8415.
Matanuska-Susitna College is a part of the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). UAA has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 1974. MSC was changed from its previous designation as a community college by University System restructuring in 1987. The main campus is located on a 950-acre site on Trunk Road, about halfway between Palmer and Wasilla.
UA is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, educational institution and provider and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.