Kennesaw State’s Campus Awareness, Resource and Empowerment services recently began a monthly food distribution program for KSU students, faculty and staff with children under 18.
CARE Founding Director Marcy Stidum said that CARE is carrying out this program in conjunction with MUST Ministries’ “Save It Forward” program, aimed at eradicating hunger for disadvantaged students.
Students, faculty and staff in need of assistance need to complete an application that CARE then will submit to MUST Ministries. MUST Ministries will decide if a candidate is qualified for the program, and upon approval, MUST will donate food and personal care items, including toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, soap and laundry detergent, to CARE’s pantry.
From CARE’s pantry on KSU’s campus, the items are allocated to people who have met the requirements of the program.
Cobb County residents who have children under 18 are considered a priority for MUST’s food program and then, based off of the amount of food and personal care items left over, residents in other counties may be considered.
CARE used this opportunity to expand this program to KSU faculty and staff. Stidum explains that this new program came about because “based on our assessments of CARE students who had children, they have expressed needing help. Often the food subsidies they receive are not sufficient or have been decreased over time.”
CARE is a campus program, funded mostly by community and campus donations, that offers support to students who deal with or have had to deal with homelessness, food security or the foster system.
Pantries have existed at KSU for nearly 12 years, preceding the existence of CARE. Once a month, the pantries are open to all KSU students. Students can have intake sessions with CARE case managers and upon qualification, may be able to visit pantries more frequently.
For students, staff and faculty with children under 18 who are interested in the aforementioned program, they can email care@kennesaw.edu to apply.
Applications will be sent to MUST Ministries to determine if one is qualified. For students who are in need of food or personal care items, Stidum said that students are welcome to make an appointment to go to the pantries for these items.
Pantries are located in rooms 128 and 130 in Willingham Hall on the Kennesaw Campus and room 170 in the Wilson Student Center on the Marietta Campus. For further assistance, visit care.kennesaw.edu to schedule an appointment.