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QCC Doesn’t Just Talk Turkey this Thanksgiving
November 2020
Quinsigamond Community College Foundation President Dr. Linda Maykel braves the cold as she helps distribute turkeys to QCC students in need.
From left: QCC staff volunteers Liz Woods, Selina Boria and Michelle Tufau Afriyie pack holiday meals at the QCC Food Pantry.
President Dr. Luis Pedraja places a turkey into a student's trunk.
Volunteers at the QCC Food Pantry and Resource Center distributed turkeys with all the fixings to students in need the week before Thanksgiving.
College’s Food Pantry Provides Holiday Meals to Students in Need
Quinsigamond Community College was out on the frontlines helping make Thanksgiving a little bit better for its most vulnerable students. Recently, the College’s Food Pantry and Resource Center provided turkeys with all the fixings to 40 students in need. The holiday meals were distributed to students in a safe and contactless way. Those students in need who did not get a turkey were given $40 gift cards to Market Basket.
QCC President Dr. Luis Pedraja took part in distributing the food and said he was humbled by the students’ need, as well as their gratitude.
“Within the first 35 minutes of opening we distributed all 40 turkeys and a total of 49 students were served in one hour. The students were so thankful for the assistance and said it would make such a difference for them and their families,” Dr. Pedraja said. “Prior to the pandemic, we found 49% of our students were hungry and many were not sure where their next meal would come from. Today, we are seeing firsthand this need increasing and we are doing everything we can to help mitigate it.”
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Advisor Bonnie Coleman, who is one of the weekly QCC volunteers, said she was the last person the students saw as they left with their holiday meals.
“After the students picked up their turkeys and other food they stopped and thanked me. So many said ‘God bless you for doing this,’” Ms. Coleman said. “It was heartwarming to see that we are able to make a small difference in the lives of students who are working so hard for a better life for themselves and their families.”
To date, 409 students have signed up to use the food pantry and with the cold weather and holidays, the college anticipates that number to continue to increase. Since the start of the pandemic, QCC’s Food Pantry partnered with the Worcester County Food Bank to deliver 2,000 lbs. of food.
“We are helping feed our students, as well as hundreds of family members. The word community in our college name is no accident. We are part of the community and as such, we will do everything we can to help our most vulnerable,” Dr. Pedraja said.
