Pantry for Progression

On a mission to eliminate food insecurity one student at a time

Pasadena City College found a new way to lend a helping hand to its students. PCC looks to broaden student needs and offer to fill their pantries at home.

The Lancer Pantry is a service that helps eliminate food insecurity on campus. Of the 30,000 students on campus, it is estimated that 20-30% of students experience some form of food insecurity.

The idea of a PCC food pantry originated in 2015 as a student-faculty social sciences project addressing student hunger and food insecurity with PCC Professor, Dr. Derek Milne. From there, the official college club at PCC, Food Recovery Network Club, was formed. In 2016, Associate Dean of Special Services, Dr. Ketmani Kouanchao, and Lancer Pantry Student supervisor, Nick Tobin got on board and helped the pantry progress to where it is today. “I feel a personal attachment to the pantry because people gave to me and I want to give back,” says Dean Kouanchao.

Not only does the pantry provide fresh and canned food items, it also provides various hygiene supplies and refers off-campus resources to those in need. In Fall 2018, the pantry was providing relief to 600 students per week, or a total of 4,000 pounds of food on a weekly basis.

The Lancer Pantry operates on donations, leaving it cost-free to students. In Fall 2018, the Lancer Pantry received a large donation with the help of the PCC Foundation. This donation brought in $12,560 for the pantry through Giving Tuesday.

If you would like to help with the Lancer Pantry, there are many ways to do so. Donations are accepted monetarily through the PCC Foundation, by donations of canned food items, or volunteering time as a pantry worker.

More information can be found on the Lancer Pantry website.