Giving Thanks
SMC provides free Thanksgiving meals to food-insecure students By Kamala Kirk s part of its Basic Needs program, led and organized by the Santa Monica College Foundation, Santa Monica College hosted its third annual GIVING THANKS(giving) grocery giveaway on Nov. 22 to provide fresh holiday groceries to 1,100 students experiencing food insecurity. “With more than 50% of students at SMC experiencing basic needs insecurity, including adequate access to food and/or housing, our students are exceptionally challenged to fulfill their academic ambitions in that there is evidence to support that ability to focus in the classroom can be directly linked to personal safety and nutrition,” said Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery, superintendent/ president at SMC. “The GIVING THANKS(giving) event, coordinated by the SMC Foundation, is a cornerstone of our far-reaching food security program that encompasses an on-campus Bodega stocked with free food and living essentials and free meals provided by generous donations to ensure that our students have their basic needs met.” The event, which has already fed more than 3,000 students during the past two years, is a day-long, drive-up outdoor
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event that takes place rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the main campus. The only eligibility requirement is current enrollment. Each student received their choice of a turkey or vegetarian protein, fresh vegetables including green beans, potatoes, carrots, onions, yams, celery, dinner rolls, a pumpkin pie, butter, salt and pepper, non-alcoholic beverages, recipes, customized online holiday cooking tutorials, and a disposable turkey pan. Students without transportation received a free one-way Lyft ride voucher. For students without the means to prepare a meal or that are unhoused, the Foundation extended the event with a holiday hot meal distribution on the college’s Bodega on Nov. 23. Margaret Sohagi, SMC Foundation board chair, added, “Students at our college and across the country are struggling for their very basics—to eat, to have safe housing and reliable transportation, among so many other fundamental needs. By coming together as a community at events like GIVING THANKS(giving), we continue to prioritize these types of basic needs programs and make a true difference in the lives of our students as they pursue their dreams and academic ambitions."
PAGE 10 THE ARGONAUT DECEMBER 1, 2022
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
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