It’s only been a few weeks, but a unique food locker program designed to give students fresh food and produce is already off to a strong start.
The lockers were made possible through a partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. The organization was awarded a $750,000 grant from US Foods to expand its Direct to Neighbor food locker project, and that lead to a location at FVTC.
Installed outside Entrance 6, students began using the lockers in January. Here’s how they work: students use an app called Order Ahead to place their food order. When it’s been delivered to FVTC, they use app to get a special code that unlocks the locker and the goodies inside.
Student Dominic Tesch values the help. He’s received rice, peanut butter, bread, eggs, milk, meat and cereal through the locker project.
“I have two full-time jobs,” Dominic explains. “It’s to have money to pay for school and to also pay for groceries. Having this here is a great help.”
The food locker project is an expansion of resources already provided to students to combat food insecurity. FVTC also has Sly’s Goods Food Pantry where students can shop once per week.
“With each year that passes, we are serving more and more students,” says Brook Gibson, Student Activities and Engagement specialist at FVTC. “Sly’s Goods serves 75-100 students per week. With not as many donations coming in, it is a struggle to keep up with the demand.”
