Programs

Student Leadership Programs

Our programs provide meaningful, action-oriented opportunities to advance the interconnected issues of basic needs support, including food and housing security and transportation access, legal aid and addressing the climate crisis to advance an equitable and sustainable community for our students. See a schedule of our events.

2023/2024 Year End Assessment

Warm Winter Clothing Drive

Basic Needs, Sustainability & Leadership is hosting a Warm Winter Clothing Drive & Event with the support of the Associated Student of Portland Community College!

Help us help students this winter season by donating new winter wear and gently used rain gear, coats and jackets to the Winter Warmup Clothing Drive. Donations will support the Winter Warmup event at the Rock Creek Campus on December 6, from 2-4pm. This program is run simultaneously with the Free Food Market so our students can stock up on items needed before the long winter break.

From November 18-December 6 we will be collecting the following items:

WASHED gently used & new rain coasts
WASHED gently used & new winter coats
NEW ponchos/rain gear
NEW winterear: hats, gloves, scarves, socks
NEW hand warmers
NEW blankets
New & gently used functional umbrellas

You can drop off your donations on the following days, time & locations:

CASCADE CAMPUS

Pantry – Cascade Hall, Room 102, Tues/Wed 10am-7pm
LRC – LRC Monday-Friday 9am-4pm, Terrell Hall room 203

ROCK CREEK CAMPUS

Pantry – Building 5, Room 113, Tues/Wed 10am-7pm
Mindful Montessori, 17677 NW Springville Rd. Portland, OR 9722, 7:30am-5:30pm

SOUTHEAST CAMPUS

Pantry – Mt. Tabor Hall, Room 152, Tues/Wed 10-7

SYLVANIA CAMPUS

Pantry – College Center, Room 216, Tues/Wed 10-7
ASPCC – SY CC 211, Mon-Thurs, 10am-2pm

Items left over from the Winter Warmup event will be redistributed to campus centers and pantries to disbursed to students. You can find more information about basic need events by visiting our website. We are always in need of and accepting donations to support students. You can donate anytime to the Panther Pantries at https://www.pcc.edu/panther-pantry/donate/. You can view the attached fliers for additional event information.

If you have any questions, please email pcc-pantherpantry-group@pcc.edu. Thank you for supporting PCC Students during this challenging season.

Student Leadership Program

Students help drive the work of the program in their roles as student ambassadors. Ambassadors represent three arms of the program, including the Panther Pantry, the PCC Legal Resource Center, and Environmental Justice Work.

The goals of the program are to:

Engage student leaders in developing an inclusive, equitable basic needs framework built on mutual aid and trust.
Integrate Equity and Basic Needs Programs into Student Life and Leadership Sustainability Initiatives.
Develop programming focusing on sustainability, food and housing security, legal aid and environmental racism, including Free Food Markets, Panther Packs, Earth Week Programming and Climate Anxiety Workshops.
Increase access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable transportation, housing, legal aid and food.
Enhance institutional awareness of and support for existing sustainability and climate justice co-curricular offerings.
Work towards achieving the goals of PCCs Climate Action Plan.
Provide support and promote PCC Sustainability programs, including events, activities and campus Learning Gardens.

Peer Resource Navigator Program

BNSL Peer Resource Navigators (PRN) are PCC students from PCC’s Family and Human Services program who provide PCC students with information and referrals to basic needs resources like food, housing, transportation, and healthcare so they can focus on their personal, academic and career goals.

PRN’s implement a Peer-to-Peer service model rooted in best practices and mutual aid theory to help PCC students with navigating basic needs resources and systems using a trauma-informed and asset-based approach. PRN’s possess foundational knowledge and experience, including coursework in Mental Health First Aid, suicide intervention skills, multicultural practices, and case management. PRNs are committed to social justice and equity in their work and often have lived experiences navigating complex systems.

Based in our Basic Needs Hubs, Peer Resource Navigators help guide and assist PCC students with:

SNAP eligibility screening and applications
Oregon Health Plan information and applications
Accessing community free food resources
Navigating housing resources and referrals
Mental health provider search
TriMet Reduced Fare Program applications
Connection and referrals to on-campus and community resources to address their basic needs

Peer Resource Navigators are also responsible for:

Staffing PCC Basic Needs Hubs
Outreach and Advocacy
Supporting BNSL Programming

Food Insecurity Programs/Panther Pantries

The Panther Pantry is a free resource to all PCC students (current student ID is needed). Our pantries are stocked with fresh food, canned food, hygiene supplies and more. Panther Pantries are intended as a stop-gap to help students in periods of high need while they coordinate access to other food assistance resources.

Pantries are located on each of the four PCC campuses. Hours of operation are determined by a combination of factors including college operational hours, student traffic, food deliveries and stock, staffing, and budget. For current hours and additional information, please visit the Panther Pantries website. For additional information, see our FAQ page.

Free Food Markets

Free Food Markets are community events that center fresh produce provided by the Oregon Food Bank (OFB). We get large orders of produce from OFB and add in backstock of non-perishable items to distribute to community members. Free Food Market is a one-off event that is scheduled around our campus delivery schedule from the OFB. This event is open to all and there are no limits. No ID is needed to attend, we only ask how many are in their household. We ask that participants bring their own bag or box to transport the food.

Panther Packs

Panther Packs are grocery bag meal kits that are intended to provide students with a meal or two prior to long closure breaks throughout the academic year. Panther Packs are distributed in the Panther Pantries during operating hours as an additional food resource for the week.

Panther Snacks Program

An extension of the Panther Pantries, the Panther Snacks Program helps to alleviate basic needs barriers by placing snacks throughout the campuses or at PCC sites with no pantry. In partnership with a variety of PCC departments, the Panther Snacks Program increases access by providing students a food resource in spaces where they are already comfortable seeking support. Panther Snack Programs are run by the departments in which they reside, so hours of operation and eligibility may vary.

Emergency Food Vouchers

Emergency Meal Vouchers are intended as a stop-gap to help students in periods of high need while they coordinate access to other food assistance resources, such as the PCC Food Pantry or applying for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This program is funded by generous donations from the PCC community.

Emergency Meal Vouchers are distributed by PCC professional staff in their respective departments to students in need of food resources. Students must be currently registered in credit classes and supplies are limited. Emergency Meal Vouchers can be used to purchase food items at CA, RC, SE, and SYL cafeteria spaces. Eligible students may receive two emergency meal vouchers to be used during the term.

School Supplies

Many of our students struggle to obtain some of the basic educational materials needed to be successful due to insufficient access to resources. When this occurs, students need to make tough decisions for themselves or their family, in this case between food and education. This Panther Pantry initiative supports our mission by eliminating the need to choose by providing tools to help students obtain the basic school supplies they need to be successful.

Seasonal Assistance Programs

The Seasonal Assistance Program helps PCC students and their families with basic needs support during the fall/winter holiday season via a $25 grocery gift card. This program is supported by the Panther Pantries. To be eligible, students must be currently enrolled in PCC credit classes and complete an application form. Funding and supplies are limited, if we receive more applications than gift cards, students will be entered into a drawing and chosen at random.

Additionally, many of our students face housing, heating, or clothing insecurity due to insufficient access to resources. When this occurs, students need to make tough decisions for themselves or their family, in this case between food and warmth. This seasonal initiative supports our mission by eliminating the need to choose by providing tools to help students stay warm. Items include hats, socks, gloves, ponchos, hand warmers, thermal blankets and coats when available.

Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon