Pictured (L to R) are Tara Kuhmichel, Ivy Tech Warsaw’s Workforce Alignment and Achieve Your Degree coordinator; Brock Heyneman, Meijer Warsaw store director; Dr. Allyn Decker,vice chancellor for Ivy Tech Warsaw. Photo Provided
Pictured (L to R) are Tara Kuhmichel, Ivy Tech Warsaw’s Workforce Alignment and Achieve Your Degree coordinator; Brock Heyneman, Meijer Warsaw store director; Dr. Allyn Decker,vice chancellor for Ivy Tech Warsaw. Photo Provided
On Sept. 30, Meijer donated $1,000 in gift cards for Ivy Tech Community College Warsaw’s Basics Bank, an emergency food and supply pantry that opened in January.

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, according to a news release from Ivy Tech.

“On behalf of Ivy Tech Warsaw students, we want to express our gratitude to Brock Heyneman and his team at the Meijer Warsaw store,” said Allyn Decker, vice chancellor for Ivy Tech Warsaw. “Eliminating hunger as a barrier to learning means that even more local students can achieve their academic and career goals.”

“Supporting our neighbor, Ivy Tech, means Meijer is potentially supporting our entire community, and we are happy to invest in this worthy project,” Heyneman said.

In addition to the donation from Meijer, Ivy Tech Warsaw’s women’s philanthropy group Circle of Ivy, and a donor from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, also contributed to this project. The combined funds should keep the emergency pantry stocked for another year.