Renegade Rip

Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: News

Media Credit: David Karnowski Members of Bakersfield College's Student Government Association and BC president Greg Chamberlain open the new BC food pantry for students at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan. 28.

Media Credit: David Karnowski SGA president Kristi Newsom gives cultural anthropology major Seth Stuart a bag of food at the new pantry Jan. 28.

The Student Government Association at Bakersfield College has started a new program that hopes to eliminate hunger among the student body. The SGA will be offering a variety of canned goods and other food staples by providing a food bank to assist students in need.

The Renegade Pantry officially opened its doors Jan. 28 with multiple news media organizations on hand to witness the ribbon-cutting ceremony and commencement speeches given by SGA senator and assistant to the dean Shawn Newsom and BC president Greg Chamberlain. Together they expressed their desires and vision for the program and its success.

"If we can provide the opportunity for one student to stay in school, then it is all worth it," said Chamberlain as he spoke about the needs of the student body reaching their educational pursuits.

With budgets being cut from community college special-needs programs such as Cal Works and EOPS, SGA board members sought opportunities to better serve BC students in need. The decision to start a student-run food bank began over the winter break with hopes to provide relief to students who may be affected by budget cuts or other circumstances hindering their educational goals.

"It is our goal that no student will have to choose between books or groceries," said Newsom.

Any student enrolled at BC can be eligible for the program. First, students will need to fill out a services form in the student government office located in Campus Center 4. The form will ask for their name, student ID number and how many children the student has, if any. Once approved, the student will be presented with a menu of the foods available and asked to select up to 15 items, with an extra five items allowed per child. These orders will then be processed and available for the student on the following distribution day.

Distribution days will be twice a month beginning Jan. 28 through the end of June, with further dates to be announced. The Renegade Pantry is located in the walkway between the campus center and Business Services.

Some students have already begun to participate in the program. "It's a good way to help control priorities with school costs and home expenses and it's good to see that the student body is concerned," said sociology major Darrell Hopkins, 38.

"It's another good way to help students besides giving them money," said Seth Stuart, 24, a cultural anthropology and religious studies major.

Another student, Tamara Tomaschow, described how the program was encouraging and that it fills a need that the students have. "This is the best project I've seen from student government in the two years I've been here. It helps you feel that the college cares about the students' work-life balance," said Tomaschow.

The Renegade Pantry is operated by the student body, and as of now is also funded with the student budget. Currently, the SGA has budgeted approximately $2,000 a month to cover food expenses in the pantry. According to Dean of Students Joyce Coleman, the initial investment of getting the project active and running was $12,000. However, Coleman feels that the Renegade Pantry is a good way to reinvest the students' money because of the opportunity it provides them. By comparison, more money was spent on homecoming expenses than the food bank, according to Coleman.

Donations of nonperishable food items are appreciated and encouraged by the SGA. In addition, faculty and staff members at BC will also receive reusable canvas bags in the hope that they will be a reminder to donate to the pantry on a regular basis.

The SGA will also be setting up distribution days for the Delano campus to better serve the students there.

Coleman also described future goals that will include offering a wider variety of food products once freezers and refrigerators are added to the pantry. There are also plans to offer hygiene products as well.

Another goal is to cut the cost to the students' budget by supplementing it with outside donations. "It is our hope that [the Renegade Pantry] will become self-sufficient with other charities and organizations helping to cover the costs," said Chris Ballard, SGA vice president.

The program will undergo a review process after 30 days, at which time the SGA will assess the program and decide what changes need to be made. It is the hope of the SGA that the Renegade Pantry will continue to be student-run and serve the needs of the student body for many years to come, as well as inspire other schools to do the same.

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