CLC awarded $25,000 in grants to continue addressing food insecurity 

Central Lakes College was awarded $25,000 in grants from the Office of Higher Education (OHE) to continue its work in addressing food insecurities on its campuses.  

CLC is one of 24 campuses awarded Hunger Free Campus grants, totaling over $400,000, from OHE in an effort to address food insecurity at Minnesota colleges. Grants were awarded to both public and private schools across the state.  

CLC was awarded a $15,000 Sustaining Designation Grant and a $10,000 Equipment Grant.  

The Equipment Grant will help update the Staples Campus Food Pantry with shelving, a refrigerator and a freezer. Additionally, improvements will be made to make the pantry brighter and more inviting.  

  The Sustaining Designation Grant will be used to continue purchasing food through Second Harvest Northland, CLC’s food bank partner. This amount will provide several thousand pounds worth of food, which will help keep up with the average of 475 student users per week.  

“The CLC Food Pantry operates on fundraised dollars, so this Hunger Free Campus Grant from the MN Office of Higher Education is a lifeline for our students and has arrived at the perfect time,” said Erich Heppner, director of Student Life at CLC. “Currently, we are seeing the highest level of student need on our campuses that we have ever experienced, and these funds will help us keep students fed and performing at a high level in their classrooms. Thanks to the generosity of donors, we will be able to continue to live by our motto of ‘Eat Well, Study Well.’”  

OHE Commissioner Dennis Olson added, “For too many students, food insecurity is a daily concern. This initiative is providing those students with the nutrition they need to focus on their studies and finish their program. I look forward to a day when every campus in the state is hunger free.”