On Jan. 8, Meijer donated $1,006.50 in gift cards for Ivy Tech Community College Warsaw’s newly formed emergency food and supply pantry, which will open Jan. 22. The donation was granted in the form of gift cards so Ivy Tech Warsaw can have the flexibility to locally purchase an assortment of emergency supplies.

The emergency food pantry will help in-need students who may get financial aid to cover tuition and books but lack the necessary funds for everyday items. Giving free pantry items to food-insecure students will help remove barriers to their academic success.

“On behalf of Ivy Tech Warsaw students, we want to express our gratitude to Neko Mostello and his team at the Meijer Warsaw store,” says Allyn Decker, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for the Ivy Tech Warsaw Site. “We believe this generous donation will help pave the way for greater student success and perhaps even more partnership opportunities between Ivy Tech and Meijer. Investing in Ivy Tech students helps create a stronger local workforce and a more stable economy.”

In addition to this generous donation from Meijer, Ivy Tech Warsaw’s women’s philanthropy group, Circle of Ivy, also raised $2,600+ for this project. The combined funds should keep the emergency pantry stocked for approximately one year.