TRC Alumnis asked to support food pantry

The annual Three Rivers College Alumni Reunion Saturday, March 13, will provide opportunities to catch up with old friends and help support the college, as well as offer a helping hand to students through the Raiders Helping Raiders Food Drive.

This is the first year those attending the event are encouraged to contribute to the pantry.

The food drive is designed to help stock the TRC/Baptist Student Union Food Pantry, which helps any student actively enrolled at the college and who qualifies to use the panty once a month.

“Think about your college experience,” said Casey Julian, the director of student housing. “How was the food insecurity back then? Just think about the students now and the hardships we’re going through. We are trying to help students at our alma mater through getting their college degree.”

Julian explained, “sometimes we see students who get dropped off with enough for the first week, but their financial aid doesn’t get dispersed until September. The whole thing for this food pantry to get started is to give them support until they can find a job or financial aid arrives and they can support themselves.”

Julian described those who are helped as “a good mixture of students who live on campus, as well as those who live off campus and have families.”

The students who need assistance may go to the food pantry, located in Baptist Student Union behind student housing.

Julian said, “there’s a quick little application used for the number tracking system, and they get whatever they need at that time.”

Pantry officials “use a system that says you tell us how many are in your household, and then we give you food for X amount,” Julian said.

University Center Director Gail Tinsley said the college and students have “done so many cool things” with the pantry.

She said different clubs bring in food often, making it a contest.

Tinsley said, last September the SEMO Food Bank brought a truck that contained so much food the student government and ambassadors helped pack bags and baskets. It was raining, “so we set up tents, students would just drive through, and we would give them boxes and bags of stuff. It just seemed like the easiest way because it seems like all the students have cars. The food pantry is for all of our students. Anybody could drive through and pick up food. It was a truckload. So that was pretty awesome. The food bank donated it and we didn’t have to buy it.”

Students and staff thought about getting alumni involved last year, but COVID prevented it, Tinsley said.

Sandy Arnold at the Baptist Student Union disperses the food from a room with shelves the BSU set aside.

Tinsley said, the college applied for and received a $5,000 grant and used part of the money to buy a freezer. The Ozark Federal Credit Union has given money. The pantry group is now a member of SEMO Food Bank, and if there is money, Arnold can go once a month to buy food by the pallet.

While Casey said 58 students used the pantry last year, Tinsley added some of them use the pantry during the school year two or three times and others have used it six times.

Tinsley wants to remind the alumni of when they were students and they remember their Top Ramen days.

“This is our way to help the students through that,” Tinsley said. “I’m just really glad the alumni want to help be part of that, too.”

Donations may include any type of non-perishable food items and cleaning supplies or hygienic supplies, like body wash or laundry pods. Alumni may leave donations in the collection boxes available at the Libla Family Sports Complex during all alumni events.

Those unable to attend the alumni events, or who want to make donations at other times, may leave items at the student union, which is open 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to noon Friday. Anyone wanting to make a monetary donation earmarked for the food pantry may send it to the Cane Creek Stoddard Baptist Association.

The current lineup of events for alumni weekend includes music, basketball games and a halftime show featuring the Alumni Star and Hall of Fame presentations.

A virtual concert by the TRC music department will be at 2 p.m. Listening will be via the Tinnin Facebook page.

Registration opens for the Raiders All Star Shootout Contest and Fundraiser at 4:30 p.m., and it will cost $2 to participate. The shootout is open to all TRC graduates and former students.

The Lady Raiders basketball game vs. Mineral Area College will be at 5 p.m., and the Raiders vs. Mineral Area men’s game will be at 7 p.m. The Alumni Star and Hall of Fame presentations will be at 8:30 p.m.