LTC Student Senate Leads Annual Food Drive

Lincoln Trail College’s Student Senate is leading its annual food drive, collecting non-perishable items to support the LTCares Pantry and local families in need. Collection barrels are located outside the Zwermann Arts Center Theater, the Sports Center, the entrance of Williams Hall, and in Williams Hall Room 105. Monetary donations can be taken to the Student Services Office in Williams Hall. Donations will be accepted through December 1.

The drive is part of a districtwide initiative across all four Illinois Eastern Community Colleges campuses. A friendly competition adds an extra incentive, with the campus collecting the most food earning a traveling trophy and bragging rights.

“This project is a great example of students taking initiative and living out our mission,” said Dr. Phil Thorsen, faculty advisor of the Student Senate. “Civic engagement is a cornerstone of what we do at Lincoln Trail College, and our students understand the importance of supporting one another and our community.”

Items collected through the drive will benefit the LTCares Pantry, which provides essential support for LTC students. Depending on the amount collected, the Student Senate plans to share donations with other area food pantries to help meet the growing local need.

“Many food pantries are seeing a surge in demand,” Thorsen said. “We know that when students’ basic needs are met, they’re more likely to succeed in the classroom. This effort is one way our students are helping ensure that happens.”

According to recent studies, as many as 39 percent of community college students nationally experience food insecurity, underscoring the importance of initiatives like Feed the Need, a statewide food drive organized by the Illinois Community College Board.

“Efforts like this show how community colleges can make a real difference close to home,” Thorsen said. “Our students see the need firsthand, and they’re stepping up to support their classmates and neighbors in meaningful ways.”

Community members, faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to contribute non-perishable food items to any of the collection sites on campus through December 1.