Students, staff and faculty members at Lone Star College-Montgomery, along with community members, recently celebrated the grand opening of its new on-campus food pantry, constructed in partnership with the Montgomery County Food Bank.

“I’m so proud that we’re doing this on our campus,” said LSC-Montgomery president Dr. Rebecca Riley. “This is not only our first food pantry on this campus, but this is also the first one in the Lone Star College System.”

Students, staff and faculty members at Lone Star College-Montgomery, along with community members, recently celebrated the grand opening of its new on-campus food pantry, constructed in partnership with the Montgomery County Food Bank.

“This is really important and is something that can make a big difference in someone’s life,” Dr. Riley said. “Whether it’s a time of crisis or they are just having to make sacrifices to come to school, one of those sacrifices being dinner on the table, we will keep it well stocked.”

This project is a testimony to the power of the LSC-Montgomery Maverick spirit, when, in 2012 the Psychology Club and the psychology honor society, Psi Beta, organized a canned food drive that collected over 3,377 cans to donate to the Montgomery County Food Bank. The following year all of the clubs and classes on campus collected over 20,700 cans.

“Our students felt there were students, faculty and staff on our own campus that could use the same type of assistance on a personal level,” said LSC-Montgomery psychology professor and psychology club advisor Dr. Karen Buckman.

It was that recognition that drove the club to drum up enough support from other on-campus clubs and groups to open the food pantry, which works with the Lone Star College Foundation as a nonprofit corporation and as a member agency associated with the Montgomery County Food Bank.

 

“We will mainly stock canned goods and anticipate monetary donations from clubs and groups on campus,” Dr. Buckman said. “We will not be open to the general public but will be here strictly to assist our faculty, staff and students on a Monday and Friday afternoon schedule.”

“We are so excited!” said Sophia James, vice president of development and communications for the Montgomery County Food Bank. “This is definitely the first one of its kind for a community college in the Houston area.”

For more information about the LSC-Montgomery Food Pantry, contact Karen Buckman at Karen.h.buckman@lonestar.edu.

LSC-Montgomery is located at 3200 College Park Drive, one-half mile west of Interstate 45, between Conroe and The Woodlands. For more information about the college, call (936) 273-7000, or visit www.LoneStar.edu/montgomery.

 

Lone Star College System has been opening doors to a better community for more than 40 years. Founded in 1973, LSCS remains steadfast in its commitment to student success and credential completion. Today, with almost 83,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 95,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and one of the fastest-growing community college systems in the nation.  Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., is the chancellor of LSC, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, seven centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.