~ Submitted by the Rotary Club of Bedford
The Bedford Food Pantry does an amazing job supporting the needs of residents in our town. But how can our community provide additional support to the students who attend Middlesex Community College, and the employees who work on the campus?
A 2017 survey revealed that 41% of Middlesex Community College students had experienced food insecurity. Some suffered housing insecurity and homelessness. More recently, a March 2021 MCC survey revealed that out of 621 students that responded, 29% had experienced food insecurity in the prior 30-days, 44% had experienced housing insecurity and 12% had experienced homelessness in the previous year.
The MCC Food Pantry, under the guidance of Jonathan Crockett, Coordinator of Essential Needs and Community Resources, is an ongoing, vital resource. Pantry locations on both the Bedford and Lowell MCC campuses offer the availability of food and personal care essentials. Most come from partnerships with the Merrimack Valley Food Bank and local businesses. In addition, Bedford Rotarians, individually and as a club, have periodically contributed goods to the MCC Food Pantry. At this time, the MCC Food Pantry has identified a need for Personal Care Products – these are more expensive, highly needed and desirable items that are now only Pantry-available on a limited basis.
To help ease the need for the desired products, the Rotary Club of Bedford will be hosting a personal care item drive to support the Middlesex Community College Food Pantry. On election day, Saturday, March 12th, we encourage people to vote, and drop your donations off at our table! Look for the Rotary flag outside of the JGMS entrance.
We are collecting: body wash, shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, dish soap, shaving cream, razors, body lotion, tissues, paper towels, and hand sanitizer.
The MCC Food Pantries on the Bedford and Lowell campuses are a free resource for MCC students and families. To learn more about the MCC food pantry go to: https://tinyurl.com/mccfoodpantryinfo or email [email protected].
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