From left to right: Zachary Young (Student Manager) and Andy Mendez (Assistant Student Manager) posing outside of The CARE Resource Center. Photo/Deborah Gunsallus
Food insecurity may force a college student to choose between having food or having the books needed for classes. Here on campus students have access to the CARE Resource Center located in Wellons Hall Suite C. The CARE Center provides hygiene products, produce, bakery items, dairy, meat, frozen, nonperishable food items, and a professional clothing closet.
When classes moved online back in March, the CARE Resource Center “played an important role in providing food for those who stayed on campus” said Andy Mendez, Assistant Student Manager of the CARE Resource Center. At the Student Affairs & Campus Life meeting on August 17 Art Malloy, Student Affairs Associate Vice Chancellor said, “Out of almost 400 people who were assisted through the CARE Resource Center this summer, 47% were faculty and staff, and 42% were students.” Andy Mendez said “Since returning for the Fall semester we have seen an increase in students, specifically freshman and sophomores, using The CARE Resource Center.” Despite this growth they are still abiding by the COVID-19 guidelines the university has put in place.
The CARE Resource Center is now requiring students to wear a mask and use hand sanitizer as soon as they enter the building to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Only four patrons are allowed in at a time. Students can get items from the CARE Resource Center twice a month. These include: two meat or frozen foods, thirty nonperishable foods, six hygiene items, ten clothing items, unlimited produce, bread and bakery.
The CARE Resource Center also asks all patrons to bring their own reusable bags, otherwise they can only provide you with two plastic bags. Employees and volunteers are required to wear a mask and gloves, which is provided at the beginning of every shift. New volunteers will learn the new COVID practices when they attend orientation. They must stick to these new practices of extra cleaning as well as wearing a mask and gloves.
CARE Resource Center is taking food donations from students and community members. The CARE Resource Center is open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday and Friday, 1-5 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday and on Wednesday they are open 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. For more information students can follow @CAREUNCP on Facebook and @uncp_cce on Instagram.
#COVID19 #CAREResourceCenter #CCE #UNCP #FoodInsecurity
