March 15, 2022

March 15, 2022 – The Thief River Falls Food Shelf will be on Northland’s Thief River Falls campus on Monday, March 21 at 2:00 p.m. to distribute food and personal care items to Northland students.

Food insecurity is one of the most prevalent issues that colleges students face. According to the 2020 #RealCollege survey of students at 28 Minnesota State colleges and universities, 37% of respondents were food insecure in the prior 30 days, with 60% experiencing some form of basic needs uncertainty in the previous year. In an effort to help meet these needs, Northland has partnered with the TRF Food Shelf to organize distribution to Northland students.

“At Northland, we know our students are no exception to the troubling contours of the college student experience,” shared Northland’s Jason Pangiarella, Student Success Coordinator & Advisor. “Northland serves students from many different backgrounds and circumstances, so we are fortunate to present this service to all of our students.”

The TRF Food Shelf will distribute a wide variety of items, including boxed meals, produce, dairy products, and meat, as well as some personal care and household items. The assortment is meant for recipients to make well-balanced meals with as few ingredients as possible.

Alecia Hunt from the TRF Food Shelf says that she has met quite a few students who are in need in the community. “There has been an increase in the number of students seeking assistance from the food shelf in the past year or so,” Hunt states. “We want to introduce ourselves and our services to Northland students. Hopefully this will make them feel comfortable and make it easy to continue to access the food shelf in the future as the need arises.”

Both Northland and the TRF Food Shelf hope to make this partnership permanent. “We are fortunate to have this organization readily available in our community,” Pangiarella contended. “We hope to make this a regular service to our students.”

Northland recognizes that insecurity surrounding a student’s basic needs can directly impact their overall success. Northland has taken steps to ensure student welfare on and off-campus by launching the Northland Student Basic Needs website. Through this initiative, the college aims to give students access to essential services, including food, housing, or mental health resources. The webpage features hyperlinks that direct users to services available in our region and links them with Northland staff, who can provide support and guidance.

Students wishing to participate in the TRF Food Shelf distribution at Northland should contact Jason Pangiarella, jason.pangiarella@northlandcollege.edu, or sign up at Northland’s Financial Aid or Student Life offices.