HUTTO — A $25,000 financial gift to the Texas State Technical College food pantry ensures students will have access to necessities when they need them most, officials said.
The TSTC Advocacy and Resource Center’s Helping Hands fund received the donation from the Applied Materials Foundation Jan. 22 to support the distribution of edibles and supplies including diapers to collegians.
The Texas State Technical College and Applied Materials Foundations distributed bags of food in support of the college’s Advocacy and Resource Center. Photos courtesy of TSTC
The gift is a boon to those who may have faced hardship in the face of the recent Winter Storm Fern, officials indicated.
“Our food pantry is one of the quickest ways we can support students when life gets tight,” said Advocacy and Resource Center coach Chasey Davis in a prepared release.
“Applied Materials Foundation’s gift helps ensure students have dependable access to food when they need it most.”
TSTC’s Helping Hands fund supports not only campus food pantries for students but emergency aid programs and resource drives that help cover other basic needs, campus officials said.
“This grant is a great example of what’s possible. It will help us expand support for students who rely on the pantry while they pursue a high-demand career,” said Elizabeth Eguia Robinson, the TSTC Foundation’s senior development officer, in a prepared statement.
Established in 1995, Applied Materials is a global materials engineering company with locations in Austin and Richardson. According to employees, the company strives to make “positive social contributions” in the areas where they operate.
“We’re very focused on supporting our local communities,” said Michele Walker-Moak, Applied Materials senior community affairs manager. “We understand that young people are one of the groups that have barriers to getting healthy food.”
Spurred by the plummeting mercury of Fern last week, the Advocacy and Resource Center used a portion of the grant to help students prepare by providing them with essential items such as food and blankets.
For more, visit tstc.edu/ tstcfoundation.
