The Hawk’s Nest Food Pantry has been opened at New River Community and Technical College’s Raleigh County Campus, providing students with free food and other essentials.
New River Community and Technical College has opened the Hawk’s Nest Food Pantry at its Raleigh County Campus. The food pantry will provide students with free food and other essentials in Room 180 on campus. The new pantry joins the one offered at the college’s Advanced Technology Center in Ghent, and one is expected to open at the Greenbrier Valley Campus in the near future.
According to an article on New River Community and Technical College’s website, Bonny Ball Copenhaver is quoted as saying, “Student success is about more than what happens in the classroom. When a student is worried about something as fundamental as having enough food, it becomes much more difficult to focus on coursework and completing a degree or credential. The Hawk’s Nest gives us another way to support our students, remove barriers and let them know that New River CTC is invested in their success.”
The new food pantry was made possible by the New River CTC Foundation and the Bonny Ball Copenhaver Emergency Fund Endowment. The purpose of the endowment is to provide students with assistance when there are challenges that are in the way of their success in school, such as inadequate access to food.
Michael Green, who serves as the Vice President and Executive Director of the New River CTC Foundation, said, “The Foundation’s purpose is ultimately to create opportunities and provide support that directly benefits New River CTC students. The Hawk’s Nest is a great example of that mission in action. Sometimes the difference between a student continuing their education and stepping away can be something that seems relatively small. If we can help
remove one of those obstacles, then this is an investment well worth making.”
The pantry will be run by the college’s Student Services team, which is currently being led by Tammy Mills as Interim Director of Student Services.
Mills said, “We want students to know that this resource is here for them and that there should never be a stigma associated with asking for help. Our goal in Student Services is to connect students with the resources they need to be successful, and the Hawk’s Nest gives us another important tool to do that.”
For more information about New River Community and Technical College, visit the school’s website.