Motlow Market Offers Assistance to Food-Insecure Students

By Stacy Dowd

Contributing Writer

SMYRNA, Tenn. -- There’s a resource for students who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

The Motlow Market is a resource for food-insecure students at Motlow. It was created after a psychology course conducted a survey that revealed that at least 25 percent of on-ground Motlow students were food insecure.

The Smyrna campus has partnered with Nourish Food Bank, which serves Lavergne and Smyrna to house the Motlow Market. Students can visit the market to assist with their food supply needs. Sociology Professor Liala Syler and Tennessee Promise Coordinator Jonathan Graham are the contact points in Smyrna for the coordination and running of the Motlow Market. Serving as contact points on the other campuses are Dean of Students Kirsten Moss and Director of Student Success Rhonda Cotham (Moore County); Completion Coach Laura Brown (McMinnville); and Completion Coach Joshua Caldwell and Student Success Coach Hayley Caldwell (Fayetteville).

Students can volunteer to work at the market and gain Tennessee Promise volunteer hours or FYE course requirements. The Market is currently open during normal operating hours of the Nourish Food Bank. To learn more, visit www.nourishfoodbanks.org .

Throughout the year, food drives are held on Motlow campuses to help stock the market. The Market also collects school supplies to assist Nourish Food Bank in its support of the Rutherford County School Supply Drive.

For more information on how you can help or to learn more about the services offered by the Motlow Market, contact Liala Syler at lsyler@mscc.edu or Jonathan Graham at jgraham@mscc.edu.