Max and Margi Harned Titan Food Pantry

The Max & Margi Harned Titan Food Pantry is open to all TCC students!

It provides food to get you through the day and food for home to fill in your budget. Also, resource referrals to services in the community that can help with food insecurity.

So you can concentrate on your course work, be successful, and complete your program!

Started by former TCC students Ashley Ngo and MayLonnai Harris, the Max & Margi Harned Titan Food Pantry is TCC’s response to a problem that is both national and extremely local: food insecurity among college students. When Ngo and Solie surveyed 1,000 of their fellow students, they found that 65 percent of them answered “yes” to the question “Have you ever considered stopping college to secure employment to provide household resources like food?” 40 percent reported skipping meals in order to make financial resources last for a week or a month, and 74 percent said that hunger or lack of food had caused them to not perform as well in their educational studies.

Thanks in part to a generous donation by Max and Margi Harned, the Food Pantry Steering Committee estimates that they will be able to provide 2,000 – 3,000 unduplicated students with food each year. According to the Steering Committee, “The primary objective for an on-site food pantry is to alleviate food insecurity for students so they can concentrate on their studies, complete their educational programs, and move on to the next phase of their lives. We know students can’t do their best in class on an empty stomach, and we want every student to make it to the finish line!” Food Pantry Coordinator Benjamin McLean is excited to open the pantry to students and hopes it will have a positive impact on their college experiences. “We’re trying to build something special to let the students of Tacoma Community College know that we’re here for them,” said McLean.

Non-perishable items can be dropped off in Building 17, Room 4 and at designated locations around campus. Suggested items include:
• Ramen noodles (cups preferred)
• Peanut butter (16 oz.)
• Granola or protein bars
• Microwavable soups
• Single-serve sports drinks or juices
• Protein drinks
• Single-serve oatmeal/hot cereal (cups preferred)
• Box cereal for larger families
• Canned tuna
• Dried beans
• Pasta noodles
• Pasta Sauce
• Tomato Sauce

Make a financial donation to the Food Pantry Fund established by the TCC Foundation.
These funds are used exclusively to support the effort to eliminate food insecurity for our students. Please visit the Online Giving Form and specify “Food Pantry gift cards”.
Check and cash donations can be made at The TCC Foundation Office in Bldg. 6. Make checks payable to the TCC Foundation and specify “Food Pantry”.