RCCC gets grant for food pantry

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has received $2,000 from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation to help stock the college’s on-campus food and resource pantry. The pantry provides free, temporary assistance for students who need food, toiletries and other everyday items.

“We are beyond grateful for this generous gift from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation to help us help our students,” said RCCC President Carol S. Spalding. “We understand that many students struggle with food insecurity, and our food and resource pantry is one way for us to support them so that they can focus on their studies and reach their long-term goals.”

A recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimated that more than a third of college students don’t always have enough to eat, which can hinder their academic success. Many also have concerns about affordable housing and living essentials.

The Rowan-Cabarrus food and resource pantry offers a variety of nonperishable foods, as well as items such as soap, deodorant, shampoo and toilet tissue.

“Students often have to choose between food, housing and/or transportation, and we want to offer any assistance we can,” said Misty Moler, adviser for the college’s Student Wellness Center. “We have locations on both our North and South campuses, and Wellness Center staff members are happy to meet students to drop off needed items at any of our campuses at a time convenient for them.”

Any student needing assistance or more information may contact Moler at misty.moler@rccc.edu.

The Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Food Lion. Established in 2001, the foundation provides financial support for programs and organizations dedicated to eliminating hunger in the communities it serves.

College gets $15,000 grant for machining, engineering

The Gene Haas Foundation has awarded Rowan-Cabarrus Community College a grant of $15,000 to assist students enrolled in manufacturing, machining and engineering programs. The money will be used to support scholarships, National Institute of Metalworking Skills credentialing and department sponsorships.

RCCC’s advanced manufacturing and engineering programs include an associate in engineering degree, along with computer-integrated machining, electronics engineering technology, industrial engineering technology, mechanical drafting technology, mechanical engineering technology, mechatronics engineering technology and welding technology.

As much as $2,500 of the grant money may be used for sponsorships of manufacturing and engineering project teams or competitions such as SkillsUSA, which allow students to take their training and talents outside the classroom or lab setting.

Gene Haas, owner of Haas Automation, established the foundation in 1999 to offer scholarships to institutions that provide education in computer-numeric controlled machining and other training related to the manufacturing industry. Haas Automation builds computer-integrated machine tools.

To learn more about the advanced manufacturing and engineering program, visit https://www.rccc.edu/beps/advanced-manufacturing-engineering/.