Hungry to Help

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ECC’s Spartan Pantry opens at 10 am every Monday through Thursday. By the time the doors open, the work is already well underway. On Thursdays, volunteers arrive as early as 8 am to restock shelves with food and toiletries. 

That early-morning work reflects something much bigger. Boxes are unpacked, produce is sorted, and the space is prepared for students who rely on the pantry each week. In fall 2025, there was a significant increase in pantry visits. Data reports 1,073 students visited in November.

The pantry originated in February 2015 after Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society students discovered that many of their peers faced food insecurity. What started as a student-led initiative has since evolved into a vital campus resource.

Today, the pantry operates through a steady rhythm of partnerships and student leadership. Every other Tuesday, Student Life Coordinator Ali-Reza Kashani delivers food from Northern Illinois Food Bank. On Thursdays, Kashani returns with donations from Sam’s Club, a partnership that began in 2024.

From there, it’s up to student volunteers to bring the operation to life.

Laci VerCande, the pantry’s documentation chair, helps manage day-to-day operations — restocking shelves, assisting at the front desk, and ensuring students can access items.

For Nevaeh Hardebeck, who began volunteering in the fall of 2024, the pantry’s growth has been impossible to miss. 

“It definitely wasn’t as prevalent and wasn’t as large as it was when I started here,” said Hardebeck, an ECC dual-credit student and the pantry’s logistics chair. “It's gotten a lot bigger and better. We’ve definitely gotten more produce and become a more reputable pantry since the time I’ve been here.”

The growth is driven not only by supply, but by demand. VerCande observed an increase in new accounts through the Link2Feed system,  an app used to track visits, which indicated that more students were seeking support. 

“I really like giving back to my community, and I really like volunteering,” VerCande said. “We try to erase the stigma of food pantries. They can be so scary to go into, and we don’t want that, because it's a resource, it's not a statement of need.”

That mindset shapes how the pantry operates, and why community support plays such an important role. Campus-wide efforts such as Feed the Need, a regional campus food drive that brings colleges together to collect donations for student pantries, underscore the importance of collaboration.

During the second annual Feed the Need Campus Food Drive, held from mid-October to early December 2025, ECC collected more than 34,000 non-perishable food items, earning the top spot in the competition. Donations more than doubled from the first drive. 

Even outside of major drives, demand remains steady. In fall 2025 alone, the pantry recorded 2,978 individual visits — the highest numbers to date. Throughout the pantry’s continued growth and increased demand, volunteers ensure students have access to basic needs so they can focus on their education. 

To learn more about Spartan Pantry, visit elgin.edu/spartan-pantry. 

This article is part of ECC's Spring 2026 edition of Impact Magazine.

Impact Magazine is a bi-annual publication featuring news and information on alumni, student success stories, Elgin Community College Foundation updates, and articles about how ECC is making a difference in our communities.