Howard Community College Supports Students’ Basic Needs with Laptop Distribution and Annual Food Drive
Howard Community College (HCC) continues to meet students where they dream by providing support for the basic needs of students and their families through two special initiatives this fall, the Pack the Pantry Food Drive, and distribution of free Chromebooks.
In partnership with Howard County Government, the college distributed over 1,100 free Chromebooks to eligible Maryland households through the Maryland Connected Devices Grant. The Division of Workforce, Career and Community Education hosted distribution events with 500 laptops being given to English Language Center (ELC) and Adult Basic Education students. The week-long giveaway initiative was spearheaded by Language and Culture staff members Mary Barton, Chuni Wang, and Rosie Verratti.
“We’ve long been committed to helping our students develop digital literacy, so it was gratifying to have the opportunity to break down barriers by providing them with access to computers.” said Mary Barton, ELC Enrollment Outreach Coordinator, “It is crucial for everyone to have digital access because it not only provides a gateway to education, but also to essential services like healthcare, employment opportunities, and important information to fully participate in society.”
HCC’s Information Technology staff supported the program by hosting pop up distributions at events throughout the fall including the Fall for All festival, Drag[on] Extravaganza, and Halloween Bash.
For more information about the Maryland Connected Devices Program, visit HowardCC.edu/ChromebookInfo.
As students work towards achieving their dreams, they need more than access to technology. HCC’s Fueling Dragons program offers several initiatives with the goal of providing immediate support for students facing hunger or food insecurity and working to build sustainable nutrition, food sourcing, and preparation skills. This year, the Fueling Dragons program partnered with Giant Food stores for the second annual “Pack the Pantry” food drive on September 14, 2024, to collect donations for the on-campus Vivian C. "Millie" and William Harrison Bailey Food Pantry.
Approximately 80 student, faculty and staff volunteers collected donations at Giant Food locations across the county, collecting nearly 3,000 pounds of food and hygiene items, and over $2,000 in cash and gift card donations. In addition to hosting the drive, Giant Food made a $2,000 donation to the Howard Community College Education Foundation to support the Fueling Dragons program earlier this year.
“The generosity from the community during this drive means so much to the pantry and our students” said Tricia Zadjura, Fueling Dragons Coordinator. “The fall 2024 semester has brought unprecedented numbers of students to the pantry, averaging over 120 student shoppers per week.”
Students can choose ten items per weekly visit and receive two additional items when they bring a reusable bag. In addition to providing access to food, the pantry provides education in nutrition by using a stoplight system, to label foods as green (choose often), yellow (choose sometimes) or red (choose rarely) based on their amounts of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. In addition to shelf-stable items, the pantry also offers produce from the campus garden, frozen items including meat, refrigerated items including milk and dairy-free alternatives, personal care products, recipe meal kits, and bread, based on availability. Students can learn food preparation techniques and recipes using pantry ingredients through a series of instructional videos hosted on the college website.
The Fueling Dragons program is made possible through a partnership with The Maryland Food Bank and the generous support of volunteers, donors and philanthropic partners. Donations of nonperishable goods can be dropped at the pantry, Hickory Ridge welcome desk, RCF welcome desk, or Kathleen Hetherington Hall lobby. Designated gifts to support the Fueling Dragons program can be made through the Howard Community College Educational Foundation. The pantry also welcomes student, faculty, staff, and community volunteers. Please email pantry@howardcc.edu to learn more.