Latest news with #SouthwesternCommunityCollege
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local volunteers feed 62k
Apr. 24—Businesses, churches, volunteer groups and students came together Wednesday at Southwestern Community College with one goal — helping fight hunger. SWCC hosted its 12th Meals for the Heartland volunteer event, surpassing 750,000 total meals donated from the site throughout the program's history. This year, volunteers packaged 62,000 meals. Meals from the Heartland began in 2008 in Des Moines. Since then, the organization has provided more than 250 million meals to the hungry in Iowa, across the nation and around the world. This year's event packaged 62,000 meals. "Every 10 seconds a child dies of hunger-related issues. And it's not only a problem halfway around the world in developing countries. It's right here in Iowa and across our nation too‚" Meals from the Heartland's website states. "Meals from the Heartland has been actively and successfully battling hunger for over 16 years, delivering nourishing food and hope. Currently, thousands of volunteers come together to package millions of meals each year." Lead UC, a countywide leadership group of students and adults in the community, has been helping SWCC plan, advertise and facilitate the event for about a decade. "Meals for the Heartland is always surprised by the amount of volunteers we bring for throughout the day," UCDA Director and Lead UC Coordinator Mindy Stalker said. This year, more than 30 teams came together to volunteer their time and energy for the event. Each team works in hour-long slots, packaging approximately 300 bags. From left, Maggie McGehee, Jeff Levine and Nick Pauly scoop meals as a part of the Kiwanis/Rotary clubs team. "Teams of seven to 10 people get together, they donate the funds needed for the meals. Then they come and package bags of food. It's six servings per bag," Stalker explained. "Many of the meals stay local, and the rest will go to Des Moines to their main headquarters and get distributed around the world." Meals from the Heartland produces two special meal formulas developed by food science and nutrition professionals to supplement nutritional needs to allow children to grow, thrive and become productive members of their community. This event packaged the Hearty Pack, a bag containing rice, soy protein, vitamins, minerals and dried vegetables. Each serving provides 226 calories and 11 grams of protein. Stalker said one of the biggest parts of the event is raising awareness about food insecurity. "The biggest impact is when we tell teams that the bag they're putting the food in is six meals," she said. "For people who are not food insecure, it's not what you would consider to be six servings." The event is a part of SWCC's annual Pay It Forward week. During PIF week, SWCC students, faculty and staff get involved by encouraging positive behaviors and service to the community. The hope is that these efforts will ripple and spread community-wide. "Our leadership team remains thankful to SWCC for allowing us to have a part in their PIF week, allowing us being a part of planning this activity," Stalker said. "They probably don't necessarily need us; they have a great staff and a great group of students, but we appreciate being part of it." Teams: Creston fifth graders Alliant Energy Greenfield Nursing Home Macksburg Community Church Salem Lutheran Church RE Lewis Refrigeration Appalachia Service Project Mayflower Heritage Christian School sponsored by Hometown Insurance Greater Regional Health Creston Kiwanis and Rotary clubs SWCC Student Senate Heartland Management Alliance Holy Spirit Catholic Church Platte Center Ambassadors Lenox FFA Iowa State Savings Bank CHS Robotics Team Creston FFA and iJag Crestmoor Ladies Union County Youth 4-H Council White River Soy Wellman Dynamics Michael Foods BUNN Northwest Bank Stalker Auto and KSIB Radio PCSB Bank Walmart Sponsors: Anonymous donor J&A Flooring
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Iowa community colleges to use state grant dollars for career academy expansions
Four Iowa community colleges will expand career education opportunities for students with state grant funding. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Four Iowa community colleges will use a combined almost $4 million in state funding to develop or expand career academies for student and workforce needs. The Iowa Department of Education and Gov. Kim Reynolds announced in a recent news release that Northwest Iowa Community College, Southwestern Community College and Western Iowa Tech Community College will each receive $1 million grants and Iowa Central Community College will receive more than $944,000 to create new programs and increase access to critical job training. 'Iowa is investing in its future through the Career Academy Incentive Fund. High school students across the state gain valuable experience, skills and credentials that will not only help shape their futures, but will also build the next generation of workers in our communities, ' Reynolds said in the release. 'I applaud Iowa Central Community College, Northwest Iowa Community College, Southwestern Community College and Western Iowa Tech Community College for their continued work to grow career academies that prepare students for in-demand careers here in Iowa.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX According to the release, Southwestern, Western Iowa Tech and Iowa Central community colleges will use their grants to add new programming to existing regional centers. Regional centers are described in the release as 'designated facilities for the delivery of CTE programming that must provide access to at least four career academy programs and serve a minimum of four school districts or a combined minimum of 120 students from at least two school districts.' Southwestern Community College will build a new skilled trades facility, renovate current spaces and develop a welding technology career center at its Creston regional center with its grant funding, according to the release. The center serves five school districts, which previously have been unable to offer welding courses. Western Iowa Tech Community College's regional center in Denison is still under construction with plans to open this fall, the release stated, and grant funding will go toward welding technologies, health sciences and HVAC career academies. Iowa Central Community College will focus its grant funding on its culinary arts career academy, one of seven offered at the college's Fort Dodge regional center. The college will renovate its facility to add a state-of-the-art kitchen and front-of-house spaces, according to the release, bring in its teaching restaurant and construct bakery and coffee shop spaces in the space. Northwest Iowa Community College President John Hartog said in a news release the college will work with partnering high schools to develop a new regional center and career academy at MMCRU High School in Marcus, as well as renovate existing labs at the high school. The new, 7,000-square-foot facility will offer career academy programs in education, health care, welding and design technology, according to the release. It will house a health care lab, computer lab and three classrooms for instruction. 'We are deeply committed to student success and fostering partnerships that provide meaningful educational opportunities for students in our rural communities,' Hartog said in the release. 'This initiative will give high school students the opportunity to explore career pathways, gain essential workforce skills, and help strengthen our region's talent pipeline. We are grateful for the collaboration with Superintendent Barkel and the partnering high schools, as well as any future schools that may join us, in making this opportunity a reality. I am excited about the positive impact this Regional Center and career academy will have on students and our communities for years to come.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
