Harris Teeter to give $250,000 to HBCUs over the next five years to combat food insecurity
The partnership comes amid rising need for student food pantries.
MATTHEWS, N.C. (WBTV) – Grocery store giant Harris Teeter announced Monday that it is pledging $250,000 to five Historically Black Colleges and Universities over the next five years to combat food insecurity.
The partnership includes three North Carolina schools – Johnson C. Smith University, North Carolina Central University and North Carolina A&T State University – as well as Norfolk State University in Virginia, and Howard University in Washington, D.C.
The partnerships will allow the universities to keep student food pantry shelves stocked amid a growing need for the services.
“At Harris Teeter, we’re proud to feed our communities,” Harris Teeter representative Paige Pauroso said. “We realize that many people in our communities struggle with food insecurity, including college students. That’s why our partnership with these student food pantry programs is so important. We want to ensure students have access to fresh and nutritious food, so they can concentrate on their education and well-being.”
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According to a 2020 survey conducted by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, more than 30% of college students have experienced recent food insecurity.
The pandemic has only increased the need for student food pantries, as more people are using them over the past two years than ever before.
To learn more about what Harris Teeter is doing in the community, visit their website.
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