The Anita & Stan Maag Food & Nutrition Center expands Palomar\u2019s food pantry program and provides additional resources to address student food insecurity.<\/p>\n
Pictured above, left to right: Palomar College Governing Board Student Trustee Amber Bancroft; Trustee Nina Deerfield; Board President Paul McNamara; Board Vice President Dr. John Halc\u00f3n; and Superintendent\/President Dr. Joi Lin Blake.<\/em><\/p>\n SAN MARCOS, CA \u2015 Officials and guests of Palomar College gathered on Monday, Oct. 29 to celebrate the opening of the Anita & Stan Maag Food & Nutrition Center at the college\u2019s main campus. The center represents a leap forward in Palomar\u2019s ability to serve students suffering from food insecurity, college leaders said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re committed not only to helping students reach their educational goals, but to supporting the whole student,\u201d Superintendent\/President Dr. Joi Lin Blake said during the ceremony. \u201cWe want our college to be an environment where students\u2019 needs are met with dignity and respect. This facility allows us to expand the program and provide a safe and judgment-free facility where students can get what they need.\u201d<\/p>\n The project was funded by a $400,000 donation and has been under construction since March, when crews broke ground to convert a former faculty and staff lounge near the Student Union.<\/p>\n The Palomar College Office of Student Affairs has operated a food pantry for 34 years, providing weekly food distributions and longer-term support for students who need it, but the program outgrew its previous home. With the new space, the college now has refrigerators for distributing nutrient-rich produce and dairy, as well as a staging area to accept pallets of food.<\/p>\n \u201cThis represents all that\u2019s good about our campus and our community,\u201d said Sherry Titus, Director of Student Affairs at Palomar. \u201cWhen you\u2019re hungry, academic success is out of reach. We have students who need help, and we have the ability to mold and shape lives.\u201d<\/p>\n For more information about the Anita & Stan Maag Food & Nutrition Center, please visit https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/studentlifeandleadership\/student-assistance\/palomar-college-food-bank\/.<\/p>\n # # #<\/p>\n Media contacts:<\/p>\n Laura Gropen, Public Affairs, lgropen@palomar.edu, 760-744-1150 x2152
\nTom Pfingsten, Public Affairs, tpfingsten@palomar.edu, 760-744-1150 x2960<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"