Grant supports food pantry expansion, scholarships at Northern Kentucky college

A financial gift from a longtime Northern Kentucky business is going to enable Gateway Community & Technical College to provide much-needed food, personal items and scholarship funds to its students.

The $9,000 in total funding comes from ADM Cares, the corporate social investment arm of ADM, one of the world’s largest human and animal nutrition companies.

ADM Cares focuses on providing economic support and volunteerism in areas where its parent company’s colleagues work, live and operate. ADM — formally known as Archer-Daniels-Midland Company — has a long-standing presence in Erlanger, Ky.

As part of its donation, ADM is providing $1,500 to Gateway’s Food and Thought Pantry. The supplementary pantry operates out of all three of the two-year college’s campuses – Edgewood, Boone and Urban Metro.

Services are available to Gateway faculty, staff members and current Gateway students. Individuals can request specific types of canned foods, meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, packaged meals, breakfast items, snack foods, condiments and a variety of refrigerated items ranging from milk and eggs to lunch meat and cheese. It also offers a variety of personal care items, baby food, diapers and school supplies.

Sarah Young, Gateway’s community resource coordinator, described the food pantry as being “not just a physical resource for our students here at Gateway.” She referred to it as a “symbol of our community’s commitment to supporting our students’ academic success and their pursuit of a bright future.”

This spring, the pantry reported 2,026 total visits, serving 2,453 individuals and providing 10,198 pounds of food and goods.

“We are so grateful for the generous donations and support from organizations like ADM, it allows us to provide healthy and nutritious options for our students who may be struggling with food insecurity,” Young added.

Beyond support for the food pantry, ADM Cares provided $7,500 to establish three scholarships. The ADM Nourishing Innovation Scholarships will go to students studying allied health sciences, applied technology and engineering, and information technology.

Jen Ciolino, ADM’s vice president of global technology, said some of life’s higher-than-anticipated expenses – medical bills, day care costs, food – have had an impact on the ability of some to pursue a college education. Gateway’s food pantry and scholarship opportunities like these ensure student perseverance, retention and timely graduation, she added.

As part of ADM’s community engagement, the organization is working to strengthen its relationship with local schools through monetary contributions, volunteerism and partnerships focused on supporting students pursuing STEM careers.

ADM’s relationship with Gateway started last year. ADM collected Thanksgiving food donations for the Food for Thought Pantry to provide meal kits for students in need. ADM is currently collecting food donations again this year from its Erlanger-based colleagues. 

“We are immensely proud to support Gateway Community & Technical College and the mission of the Food for Thought Pantry, and we are deeply thrilled to provide financial support for students as they embark on their academic journeys to complete their educational goals,” Ciolino said.

Gateway Community & Technical College