Jones College students, faculty, and community members gathered for the second annual “Cooking for a Cause” event which blends culinary creativity with compassion to raise awareness about food insecurity among college students. Hosted in collaboration with the college's dining services partner, Sodexo, the event featured dishes made from food pantry staples showing students how simple ingredients can be transformed into nourishing meals while highlighting the importance of supporting the Bobcat Food Pantry. In addition to the pantry staples, executive chefs added “food scraps” like broccoli stems and pineapple cores to add a sustainability aspect to the event.
“This event really brings people together for a good cause,” said Riley Rolison, a sophomore from Long Beach. “Food brings people together, and this is such a great way to raise awareness. It’s smart, too, because when you serve a meal, people show up, listen, and learn.”
Jones College Executive Chef, Andy Wu and Mississippi University for Women, Executive Chef Rachel Pitman led the friendly culinary showcase, using creativity to turn pantry ingredients into crowd-pleasing dishes. Wu served a colorful Hawaiian fried rice featuring pineapple, Spam, and Chinese sausage, while Pitman prepared a Thai noodle dish tossed in homemade sesame-honey sauce with sautéed chicken and fresh vegetables.
“I wanted to make something students could actually recreate with what’s available in our campus pantry,” said Pitman. “You don’t have to have fancy ingredients to make something healthy and delicious.”
Wu added, “We just want to remind students that the food pantry is there for them and that you can make really good food with what’s available.”
For Jennifer Griffith, VP of Career Services & eLearning, donating to the Cooking for a Cause event is about more than just food. This is about community. Her donation to the “Cause” during the special event helped Sodexo provide $430 meal vouchers for students, or $4,301.94.
“Food insecurity is a very real thing,” Griffith said. “We want our students to know there’s a safe place where they can get what they need and that they’re cared for here.”
Grant and Hope Staples, JC alumni and directors of The Glory House, the local nonprofit food pantry in Laurel helped to expand that message by donating funds to support the Bobcat Food Pantry.
“When you run a pantry, you know how important community support is,” said Grant Staples. “We serve more than 700 families a month, and when we heard about Jones’ event, we wanted to help another pantry continue its work. We’re stronger together.”
Hope Staples emphasized the ongoing need for open, welcoming food resources. “There are people all around us who don’t have enough to eat but don’t feel like they can share that,” she said. “A pantry like this offers hope and dignity, and college students need that support more than ever.”
Sodexo’s Area Marketing Manager, Elizabeth Brunet, who helped coordinate the effort, said this year's initiative was built on the national recognition Jones College earned last year for the inaugural event. The college received Silver Honors from the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) in the Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards for Innovative Dining Program of the Year.
“We wanted to build on that momentum by growing our community partnerships, giving students more ways to get involved, and in turn, making a bigger impact,” Brunet said. “This is a district-wide initiative spanning from West Louisiana to North Mississippi, representing the collective efforts of 14 campuses (and growing each year) working together to raise awareness for Hunger Action Month. Across all participating colleges and universities, a total of 4,391 meal vouchers were donated to support the fight against food insecurity.”
As dishes were sampled and donations were collected, the event’s message was clear; when a community comes together, no student should go hungry.
