VOLT Grow® has partnered with the College of DuPage’s Fuel Pantry to grow fresh produce to donate to food-insecure community members.
The College of DuPage’s (COD) Phi Theta Kappa chapter created the Fuel Pantry in 2015 as their “College-Wide Project.” The chapter went out to conduct research and surveys. The collected data showed that 100 out of 750 students reported they only had access to less than 1–2 meals per day, which classifies them as food insecure.
Food insecurity is when a person lacks reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. The chapter wanted to create an accessible supply of “brain fuel” food to better support these students and faculty to succeed.
“The Fuel Pantry is a food pantry at College of DuPage, dedicated to supporting members of the COD community through increased food security. The Fuel Pantry’s mission is to support students working toward their degrees by providing brain fuel. Furthermore, we serve the COD faculty and staff in need,” stated Emmi Chambers, an AmeriCorps member, and Fuel Party worker.
VOLT Grow® began working with the college’s horticulture program to support their education and research in October 2021. The college uses the lights donated by VOLT Grow® to enrich the learning and research of plant sciences.
“Grow lights in the greenhouses provided by VOLT Grow® have allowed us to ensure our clients have access to fresh vegetables year-round. In the winter months, nearly all our produce is grown using VOLT Grow®’s lights. Uniquely, many of the crops we harvest in the summer months are started in the greenhouse using these grow lights,” Chambers stated. “VOLT Grow®’s donation of grow lights has ensured we can provide a continuous supply of healthy, fresh food to our clients.”
“Many college students who experience food insecurity struggle to reach milestones such as year-to-year persistence and certificate or degree completion,” stated Higher Education Today.
Produce is only a section of the Fuel Pantry’s offerings. The vast majority of food products in the Fuel Pantry are non-perishable items like granola bars, cereal, pasta, canned goods, and more. However, they also offer non-food items like shampoo and conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, and paper towels. Their focus is on increasing people’s well-being so they can focus on what they are there to do– learn and teach.
Public Relations Manager for VOLT Grow®, Casey Brynjolfsson, said “We are so happy that our LED grow light donation is not only supporting horticulture research but also helping the students and staff who need food, especially fresh produce. We are proud to see the positive impact our products are having on this community and are looking forward to continuing to support these types of initiatives.”
