Event Benefits the SOWELA Food Pantry to Help Combat Food Insecurity Within the SOWELA Community
(Lake Charles, Louisiana – October 24, 2023)
SOWELA Technical Community College will host its inaugural Feed the Tiger Food Drive on Wednesday, November 8. Nonperishable donations can be dropped off from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM at SOWELA’s Culinary, Gaming, and Hospitality Center, 3841 Senator J. Bennett Johnston Ave., Lake Charles, LA 70615.
“Thanks to generous donors, SOWELA’s Office of Student Services has been able to pack bags of food and hygiene products in a free and confidential way for the past five years,” said Director of Student Services Maegan Lewis. “Whether students need assistance with one meal or one product, no donation is too big or too small. Hundreds of SOWELA students in need have been able to fight food insecurities thanks to the Tiger Love Food Pantry on campus.”
Needed items include cereal, oatmeal packets, peanut butter, jelly, tuna/canned meats, canned pasta or prepared meals, pasta sauce, Mac ‘n Cheese, rice, canned goods, instant potatoes, condiments, granola bars, dried fruit, crackers, Jell-O, pudding, beverages, paper products or personal care items.
SOWELA recently received the Hunger-free Campus designation from the Louisiana Board of Regents and, as part of the designation, committed to hosting a food drive annually. A 2020 study (opens new window) indicates that approximately 38% of students at two-year schools in the U.S. experience food insecurity. Hungry students have lower GPAs and struggle more to earn their degrees than students who know where their next meal comes from.
SOWELA’s food pantry opened in 2019 and has been able to distribute 10,000 pounds of food so far this year. The pantry is located at the College’s Main Campus in Lake Charles and is free to all SOWELA students, faculty and staff. Students must complete a request form to receive a monthly food bag and show a current SOWELA ID at pick up. Food bag delivery is available for students at the College’s Jennings, Leesville and Oakdale sites.
If an individual or business prefers to make a monetary donation, they can do so through the SOWELA Foundation at our Give page and designate the gift to the “Tiger Love Food Pantry.”
For more information, contact SOWELA’s Office of Student Services at studentservices@sowela.edu or (337) 421-6975.
About SOWELA Technical Community College
SOWELA Technical Community College provides traditional, distance, and lifelong learning experiences and awards associate degrees, technical diplomas, and certificates. The College empowers learners in career and technical education and enables transfer students to pursue a four-year degree, so all learners excel as globally competitive citizens. The College has been educating the region’s workforce for 85 years.
