Students receive two filled bags of meals, depending on their preference, from Tinkle or anyone on duty. Zeinab Agbaria | Washtenaw Voice
Tahura Badar
Contributor
The WCC food pantry, also known as Emergency Food Cupboard, is an accessible provider of meals, including sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals, for students facing food insecurity.
Carol Tinkle, WCC’s food pantry manager, shared insights about the positive trends and benefits of using the pantry.
Tinkle highlighted that, despite the initial stigma surrounding its usage, an increasing number of students have been relying on the food pantry in recent years, indicating a growing awareness and acceptance of its services among students.
According to Tinkle, the pantry can be utilized up to four times per semester. This helps alleviate the financial burden of purchasing groceries for those facing food insecurity.
Tinkle also said that the community has been consistently supportive through donations. Recent contributions from the WCC women’s volleyball team, staff members and students are noteworthy, demonstrating a collective effort to support fellow students in need.
While only some return, there has been a significant increase in the number of students becoming regular visitors. This is primarily due to inflation as the price of groceries has increased significantly. According to USDA, food prices are set to go up 2.3% in 2024, and the average college student will spend $670 on food, including take-outs and home-cooked meals, per month, while the average student makes nearly $2,000 a month. Making this small amount of money while having other bills to pay makes it challenging for students to afford groceries.
The food pantry has lines of soup and pasta sauce cans held by containers of varieties of beans. Boxed mixes of brownies, pancakes, biscuits and other dishes can be found across the room.
Students receive two filled bags of meals, depending on their preference, by Tinkle or anyone on duty. “Two bags of groceries may not last a whole month, but any extra support we provide can make a meaningful difference.”
To further assist students, the food pantry provides bridge cards for grocery shopping and a food resource information sheet listing places across Washtenaw County offering access to meals.
Tinkle emphasized the importance of this change, stating, “People understand that using the resources provided by the college for food and access to healthy and hygienic nutrition is not something to be ashamed of.”
The food pantry is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Located in the Student Center building, SC 206. For more information or to get in touch, call 734-677-5105 or email src@wccnet.edu.