Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, along with the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education, is pleased to announce a $4,800 grant from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc., to help students succeed in college programs by relieving hunger among students. The award is part of a $100,000 grant that will allow more than a dozen rural Virginia community colleges to expand food emergency offerings to students.
Awareness of food insecurity among community college students is on the rise. Some researchers say as many as half of all such students lack consistent access to nutritious food, particularly in underserved communities. Virginia’s Community Colleges are working with partners, like Anthem, to minimize these student success barriers to promote greater academic attainment and promote better long-term health outcomes.
The grant will be used to help support DSLCC's Roadrunner Cubby Closet, an on-campus food bank located in the DSLCC Armory on the Clifton Forge campus. The Cubby Closet offers not only staple food items, but also clothing suitable for work attire or job interviews, and is available to students as well as anyone in the community. The Closet operates on direct donations and monetary contributions from community organizations and individuals.
"We are very grateful to Anthem for their generous donation," noted DSLCC President Dr. John Rainone. "The Cubby Closet is a vital asset for many of our students and their families."
“Anthem’s mission is to improve lives and communities and to make healthcare simpler. To help us accomplish this we work with local organizations to develop community-specific approaches that remove barriers and improve health,” said Jennie Reynolds, president, Anthem’s Virginia Medicaid Plan. “Food insecurity is associated with some of the most serious and costly chronic health problems, and it’s important we continue to identify ways to address this serious issue in our communities where help is needed and can be readily accessed. That is why we are excited about this unique partnership with Virginia’s Community Colleges, which allows us to not only address this critical issue, but also helps to bring greater awareness to the problem of hunger on campus.”
The Anthem Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc. and through charitable contributions and programs, the Foundation promotes the inherent commitment of Anthem, Inc. to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Anthem, Inc. and its affiliated health plans serve. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges. The Foundation also coordinates the company’s annual associate giving campaign and provides a 50 percent match of associates’ campaign pledges. To learn more about the Anthem Foundation, please visit www.anthem.foundation.org.
The Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) is the supporting arm of Virginia’s 23 community colleges. The VFCCE works to broaden educational access, support student success, and provide innovative solutions to workforce needs. Our mission is “providing access to education to all Virginians,” with a focus on expanding access and programs for underserved populations. To ensure access to high quality, affordable education, the VFCCE provides statewide leadership in raising funds for community college education, supplementing and supporting the activities of the 23 individual colleges, and securing support for major system-wide initiatives that could not be undertaken by any single college. For more information, please visit www.vfcce.org.
For more information about the DSLCC Cubby Closet or to make a donation, visit www.dslcc.edu/cubbycloset or contact Phyllis Bartley at (540) 863-2824 or pbartley@dslcc.edu or Shasta Robertson at (540) 863-2852 or srobertson@dslcc.edu.