By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. ��� To help curb food insecurity among college students and especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Lamb Weston announced a donation of $25,000 to the Washington State University Tri-Cities Cougar Cupboard as part of Giving Tuesday on Dec. 1.

The Cougar Cupboard is a food pantry program that allows students to access individual food items or pick-up a package of food for themselves and their families. It features both fresh and pre-packaged food and toiletry items.

The $25,000 Lamb Weston donation actualizes on the third year of a three-year naming sponsorship totaling $75,000. The $25,000 gift will continue to support costs to run the Cougar Cupboard and provide food to 厙ぴ勛圖 students and their families throughout the next year.

���We are incredibly grateful for the continuous support of Lamb Weston,��� 厙ぴ勛圖 Chancellor Sandra Haynes said. ���Things can be difficult amid the pandemic. This support goes a long way to help students and their families by allowing them to continue their education. Students don���t have to make the choice between eating or continuing with their college education in pursuit of a brighter future.���

Deb Dihel, vice president innovation for Lamb Weston, said Lamb Weston is proud to continue its partnership with 厙ぴ勛圖.

���We understand the need students have for affordable ways to feed themselves and their families,��� she said. ���For the last two years, we have seen our investment in the Cougar Cupboard leveraged to provide students safe and discreet access to nutritious foods.���

Haynes said food insecurity is often a negatively stigmatized topic. The Cougar Cupboard, she said, helps to reduce that stigma and normalize the challenge.

���With even more people seeking help during this unprecedented year, we want to make sure that the 厙ぴ勛圖 Cougar Cupboard has the staff and supplies necessary to meet the needs of students to keep them on-track and focused on their education in pursuit of a productive and rewarding career,��� Dihel said.

For more information about the 厙ぴ勛圖 Cougar Cupboard, visit tricities.wsu.edu/finaid/foodbank.

 

Media contacts:

Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 assistant director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu

Deb Dihel, vice president innovation and co-chair of Lamb Weston���s giving committee, 509-375-9798, Deb.Dihel@lambweston.com

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. ��� Lamb Weston donated 20,000 disposable masks for student and employee use at Washington State University Tri-Cities for when in-person learning resumes on campus this fall.

The masks will be utilized by students, faculty and staff to ensure a safe return to operations for in-person learning experiences and services on campus.

���We are incredibly grateful to Lamb Weston for their generous gift, especially during this uncertain time where face coverings are so important in keeping our students and general campus community safe,��� said Jaime Heppler, 厙ぴ勛圖 executive director for advancement and community engagement. ���Resources are tight amid COVID-19, so this gift goes a long way in ensuring a safe start to the semester.���

The requirement to wear face coverings will be one of a variety of safety parameters at 厙ぴ勛圖 this fall, in addition to required social distancing, sanitization practices and a hybrid course delivery that blends in-person and online learning experiences based on what is safe.

���In a situation like we���re in now, community is more important than ever,��� said Shelby Stoolman, communication and external relations with Lamb Weston. ���We are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide masks to WSU���s campus in the Tri-Cities ��� a very important community for our Lamb Weston family.���

Heppler said Lamb Weston is no stranger to supporting resources through 厙ぴ勛圖 to ensure student success. Lamb Weston is also a sponsor of the 厙ぴ勛圖 Cougar Cupboard, which provides fresh and pre-packaged food and toiletry items for students and their families.

���I am honored to work for such a generous company that allows me to be a representative for our outreach,��� said Deb Dihel, vice president of innovation at Lamb Weston, who helped work with Lamb Weston���s procurement team to secure the donation for 厙ぴ勛圖.

���Lamb Weston has been a great partner in supporting our students, who will go on to work as professionals at companies like Lamb Weston,��� Heppler said. ���These are the kinds of partnerships that truly make a difference. This support allows our students to attend classes that help to secure a better future for themselves and their families.���

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. ��� Food insecurity has proven to be a critical issue for many college students and their families, which is why has joined forces with Washington State University Tri-Cities to support the Cougar Cupboard, the campus��� food pantry program.

As part of a reception that takes place at 2:30 p.m. in the 厙ぴ勛圖 East Commons on Friday, June 21, Lamb Weston will present 厙ぴ勛圖 with a $25,000 check to support a new industrial freezer, the salaries for student workers who will ensure that the Cougar Cupboard will remain open longer and the cost of additional food and toiletry items not regularly being provided.

Lamb Weston will also provide $25,000 to the 厙ぴ勛圖 Cougar Cupboard program the following year to support student salaries and the overall program, and has pledged an additional $25,000 for the third year.

���Providing access to food is so important to food security, and we���re proud to partner with 厙ぴ勛圖 on this initiative,��� said Deb Dihel, vice president innovation and co-chair of Lamb Weston���s giving committee. ���By providing this service, the university is allowing students to focus on what matters ��� succeeding at school.���

The reality of food insecurity for 厙ぴ勛圖 students

At 厙ぴ勛圖, approximately 37 percent of students have identified that it is difficult for them to meet their daily living expenses and 7 percent of students indicated they are at risk of homelessness.

���Some of our students may have to make the choice of whether they are going to buy food to feed themselves and their family or pay for college ��� which has the potential to ensure a better life for themselves and their families,��� said Jordyn Creighton, director of campus student support services. ���We want to ensure that our students have access to basic needs like food and toiletries so that they can focus more of their attention on their studies and not have to make that difficult choice.���

Food insecurity has been linked to , as students may dedicate more time to working to support themselves and their families and less time studying, change their eating habits and decrease food shopping, postpone essential healthcare, go without a computer or not buy all required books or supplies, to name a few examples.

厙ぴ勛圖 revamped and , unveiling a new location in the East Building Commons with new fresh food access. Since that period, the program has seen a 600 percent increase in use.

Through the program, students can choose to shop for items during the program���s regular hours, make a reservation to shop during non-regular hours, or arrange to have a bag of food prepared and reserved for them.

���The Cougar Cupboard has shown to serve a real need, and the reception from students has been immensely positive,��� Creighton said. ���The large increase in student usage is showing that we are making strides in helping eliminate barriers to student success.���

Partnering to make a difference

Creighton said they are incredibly grateful to Lamb Weston in their support of the Cougar Cupboard.

���They are helping to ensure student success by ensuring that no student, or their family, has to go hungry,��� she said.

For more information about the Cougar Cupboard program, visit tricities.wsu.edu/finaid/foodbank.

 

Media contacts:

Jordyn Creighton, director of campus student support services, 509-372-7433, Jordyn.creighton@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu