Since 2016, Middlesex Community College has run food pantries on the college’s Bedford and Lowell campuses. With grant funding from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education and support from the Merrimack Valley Food Bank (MVFB) and Mill City Grows, Middlesex has launched the Healthy Foods Grab n’ Go Initiative. Through the initiative, MCC students and employees can grab healthy food options for free from convenient and busy spots around campus.
“We’re expanding on the traditional pantry model in both quantity and quality of items that we provide,” said Jonathan Crockett, MCC’s Coordinator of Essential Needs & Community Resources. “We’re able to be more thoughtful about offering healthy options, such as fruits and vegetables, yogurt, and pre-packaged meals that are nutritionally sound and easy to grab. In doing so, there’s been increased an awareness and appreciation of community engagement with it.”
With the grant funding, MCC also hired Bob Bruder to work as the college’s Coordinator of Access to Healthy Foods. Working with local organizations – such as MVFB and Mill City Grows – Bruder picks up donations of hundreds of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to put out on a table in MCC’s Lowell Cowan Center Lobby weekly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
“With a focus on health, wellness and accessibility, grab and go allows us to set up in more public spaces where students and employees see it front and center,” Crockett said. “Grabbing food items on the way reduces the stigma of participating and accepting free food. People often don’t realize in the moment that it’s part of the pantry supplies.”
Middlesex received another grant from MVFB to purchase a full-size refrigerator, two chest freezers, and food handling and storage equipment in direct support of the Grab n’ Go initiative. The equipment has been placed in common areas easy for people to take as needed. The college also received a grant from the Greater Lowell Community Foundation to increase the amount of culturally relevant food options available.
In partnership with Lex Eat Together, a volunteer-run organization in Lexington that provides free and nutritious meals to the community, MCC handed out free peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and juice to students and employees starting in Spring 2023. The partnership will continue throughout the Fall on Wednesdays as part of Grab n’ Go with options to expand.
Bruder is also asking MCC community members to bring in extra produce from their gardens to donate to the Grab n’ Go initiative. Entitled “Harvest Fest,” the goal is to “build a healthy culture of sharing with everyone getting involved,” as it makes a difference in students’ lives.
“In order to enrich the mind, you need to enrich the body,” Bruder said. “One student I talked to this summer is a single mom taking classes and working at night. She told me she used to be in class not knowing how she would feed her kids. When she became aware of the food pantry, she could study and focus because she knew she had two days’ worth of meals she didn’t need to worry about for her children. Without this, she might have had to make a decision to not finish her education. She wants a better life for her and her children, and this helps that goal.”
For more information or to make a donation, contact Bruder at bruderb@middlesex.mass.edu.