Inside Bernie’s Place: How Shawnee Community College is addressing student hunger

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

ULLIN, Ill. (KBSI) — Between classes, baseball and work, 20-year-old Anthony Duran has a busy schedule at Shawnee Community College. But part of his day is spent helping fellow students access food and everyday necessities at no cost.

Duran, a business management student and baseball player, also works at Bernie’s Place, the college’s on-campus food pantry. It’s a resource he uses himself, and one he sees other students turn to throughout the day.

“I do work here at Bernie’s Place, and so I’m able to have a firsthand experience on just how many students come in and out on a day-to-day basis,” Duran said.

Despite regular deliveries of groceries, snacks and other supplies, Duran said the shelves are constantly being used.

“Although we’re always getting groceries in and snacks and stuff from Walmart and things like that, we’re never full because we just have so many people coming throughout,” he said.

For students, even the smallest everyday expenses can add up. Having access to free food and drinks on campus allows him and other students to save money while balancing school and other responsibilities.

“If I get a little thirsty, you know, I don’t want to spend the dollar or two on a bottle of water and just come into Bernie’s Place and they have it here for me,” he said.

Bernie’s Place has served Shawnee Community College students since 2020.

What started as a small room where students requested items for later pickup has expanded into a store-style pantry, allowing them to walk in and choose the supplies they need.

Jacqueline Smith, executive assistant to the vice president at Shawnee Community College, said the pantry operates with support from college employees, the school’s foundation, local churches and community members.

That support is especially important as the college participates in the third annual Feed the Need Campus Food Drive, a statewide initiative organized by the Illinois Community College Board.

The competition began Oct. 19 and runs through Nov. 30, encouraging colleges to collect nonperishable food donations for students and families facing food insecurity.

Shawnee Community College has finished fifth statewide in the competition for the past two years, an accomplishment Smith said is significant given the college’s size.

“We have come in fifth place both years, which is extremely large considering our population versus the populations that we’re competing with,” Smith said. “So I think we have done really well, and we really want to ensure that we stay on the list.”

A statewide effort to fight hunger

Feed the Need launched in 2024 as an initiative involving Illinois’ 39 community college districts.

According to an Oct. 12 news release published by the Illinois Community College Board, participating colleges collected more than 180,000 food items in 2025, nearly doubling the 91,000 items collected during the inaugural drive in 2024.

Elgin Community College won last year’s competition, with Shawnee among the state’s top five participating colleges.

“Food insecurity continues to be a real challenge for many students and families, and we encourage every college to get involved and help us build on the momentum we have created,” ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham said in the release.

The ICCB also cited studies suggesting as many as 40% of community college students nationwide experience food insecurity.

For Duran, the donations represent more than food on the shelves. He said they show students that people in their community want to see them succeed.

“It just shows … how much the community really wants us to not only strive and be successful in the things that we do, but also want to support us in their day-to-day lives,” Duran said.

How to donate

The Feed the Need Campus Food Drive continues through Nov. 30.

Community members, businesses and organizations can drop off nonperishable food donations at Shawnee Community College’s main campus, located at 8364 Shawnee College Road, Ullin, Illinois.

The college’s regular operating hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

For more information, contact Shawnee Community College at: 618-634-3200.

The college collecting the most items statewide will receive a commemorative plaque.

More information about the statewide initiative is available through the [Illinois Community College Board’s Feed the Need announcement].