蒙哥马利县社区学院’s 食物回收计划 has been named among 28 community colleges nationwide as recipients of the 2023-2024 Innovation of the Year 奖, 联盟 for Innovation in the Community College, an international nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment.

According to its website, the award, established more than 30 years ago, 和 recognizes innovative programs 和 the employees behind them at member community colleges that 提高服务学生和社区的能力.

的 食物回收计划 从mcc中重新利用多余的食物 烹饪艺术 和 烘焙及糕点 programs to create free, healthy meals to deliver to the Wellness Center’s Stock 为成功准备食品储藏室. 该项目于2023年秋季启动，目前已经开始减少 the amount of wasted food, help in the fight against climate change 和 reduce hunger 在学生中.

Karima Roepel, Director of the Hospitality 研究所, 和 詹妮弗·法内格, first-year Food Sustainability Fellow in the Hospitality 研究所, developed the program.

“We are incredibly proud to receive this award, because of what it represents,” said Roepel. “In its first year, the 食物回收计划 has changed students’ lives 往好处想. We’ve helped curb food insecurity across campus 和 prevented food 整体废物. We thank 联盟 for Innovation for its consideration in recognizing all that we’ve achieved so far 和 will continue to achieve in the future.”

“的 食物回收计划 really is an innovative way to address both food insecurity 以及气候变化，”法内加说. “我很荣幸能得到认可，我很高兴 很高兴这个项目得到了这么多的关注. 这无疑对学院有帮助 扩大项目的覆盖范围和影响.”

法内加是一个 美国志愿队Vista研究员, who worked at the College from August 2023 through July 2024, as part of a one-year 奖学金计划. 2021年MCCC校友，毕业时获得 自由研究 degree, Fanega transferred to West Chester University to earn a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition with a concentration in Sustainable Food Systems Management in May 2023. She is also a trained natural foods chef 和 has worked for those facing health concerns 饮食限制.

的 食物回收计划 is part of a response to a growing need 在学生中 who’ve 说他们面临着粮食不安全.

2020年9月，ccc机构有效性 & 战略创新与商业 情报局指挥了学生的基本需求 调查, which showed that 38 percent of the 1,068 respondents said they experience some 粮食不安全程度. 据估计，今天这个数字的比例更高.

Among the barriers to healthy foods includes not having the resources. 受益于 补充营养援助计划(提前), previously known as food stamps, have been reduced while food prices have risen.

Additionally, the 食物回收计划 is an attempt to tackle climate change by 减少送往当地垃圾填埋场的食物数量.

美国将在2021年发布一份报告.S. 环保署估计，每年， U.S. food loss 和 waste embodies 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent 温室气体排放”，并根据 美国农业部 “when food ends up in l和fills, it generates methane, an even more potent greenhouse 气体.”

Lastly, by providing the meals at no cost to students, they are gaining access to 营养膳食，遏制校园饥饿.

In the fall 2023 semester, the 食物回收计划 provided the equivalent of 937 meals to the food pantries, which saw 218 unique visitors with 979 visits, an estimated 比前几个学期增加了200%.

“Once 提前 benefits were cut in March 2023, we saw an uptick,” said Dr. 妮科尔康, 健康中心主任，之前. “我们测量了第一个完整的月 2023年春天和2023年秋天. 这就是我们看到200%利润的方式 增加.”

Kang said a special QR code was created for students to sign in 和 that’s how they 能追踪到218个不同的学生吗.

的 食物回收计划 utilizes extra ingredients, as well as food that has been 学生准备. 该项目准备的菜肴通常是素食的 学生吃的最多. 所有东西都包装好，贴上标签，然后捐赠， 和 any inedible scraps are composted by the Plymouth Meeting-based 回到地球 堆肥.

法内加在学院的一年奖学金于2024年6月结束. 第二年 the program, Roepel said the College has hired a new fellow to fill her role 和 continue 来扩展程序. Lianna Beauchamps拥有可持续发展学士学位 毕业于斯托克顿大学，有教学经验. 波尚会教书 students basic cooking skills 和 food sustainability concepts in the Hospitality 研究所.

“的 second year of the Food Recovery program will continue providing meals to the Wellness Center, while also fostering strong relationships 和 partnerships in Montgomery 县和地区，”Roepel说. “我们希望与医疗保健和 farming communities to sustain a more robust, holistic approach to wellness.”

的 continuation of the Food Recovery program is just one feature of the new Hospitality 研究所, which is scheduled to open for classes during the fall 2024 semester. 的 new, 24,000-square-foot building located on 蓝铃校园 will be home to MCCC’s 烘焙和糕点艺术，烹饪艺术和 旅游及酒店管理 certificate 和 degree programs along with community 和 professional classes. 突出了 include the building’s chocolate, pasta 和 fermentation labs, 和 event space. 为 更多关于酒店管理学院的信息，请访问 着陆页.