Student volunteers Ronnie Halfacre-Tellerman (right) and Christina LeBel sit in front of a jam-packed refrigerator-freezer at the Captain’s Cupboard food pantry that helps students in need.
Captain’s Cupboard approaches 6th anniversary
The Captain’s Cupboard opened in November 2013, giving students a place to turn for food assistance. Six years later, it’s still going strong.
Through the years, the Captain’s Cupboard’s food selection has grown ― as has the number of people it serves. Last month, the food pantry distributed food that helped feed 233 people.
“From what I’ve heard, my best estimation is that the usage has gone up every year and that this year, we’re topping them all,” said Ronnie Halfacre-Tellerman, a Human Services student who serves as the Captain’s Cupboard operations manager.
SMCC officials partnered with the college’s honor society, Phi Theta Kappa, to create the food pantry after a campus-wide survey found that hundreds of SMCC students sometimes went without eating because of financial circumstances. The pantry is run by volunteers and is open to any SMCC student or employee.
When the Captain’s Cupboard first opened, it offered a relatively limited selection of food ranging from canned soup, baked beans and tuna to chicken wings and some other frozen foods.
It now offers a much wider range of packaged and frozen foods, fresh and frozen baked goods, and fresh produce such as apples, potatoes, tomatoes, and lettuce, depending on the season. On many days, its shelves, two refrigerators and two chest freezers are full.
The Captain’s Cupboard also has an arrangement with the Culinary Arts program where volunteers package leftover food from the public luncheon buffets on Fridays into single-serving containers.
Behavioral Health and Human Services Professor Kathryn Stannard has been the Captain’s Cupboard faculty advisor from the start. There’s a real need for students who sometimes aren’t sure where their next meal is coming from as they juggle school, family and work responsibilities, she said.
“We have people who come in here and say, ‘This is all I have to feed my family,’” Stannard said.
During the semester, the Captain’s Cupboard is open from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 12-5:30 p.m. on Fridays.
For more information about the Captain’s Cupboard or to learn about volunteer opportunities, people can send an email to captainscupboard@smccME.edu or check out its Facebook page.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 11.7 percent of U.S. households experienced food insecurity at times in 2018, meaning their access to adequate food was limited by a lack of money and other resources. Maine’s prevalence of food insecurity stood at 13.6 percent, the highest rate among New England states.
Advising Month helps save time, money, stress
There’s no better way for you to save time and money — and ease stress — while reaching your academic goals than by meeting with an SMCC advisor during Advising Month.
SMCC faculty and staff are bolstering efforts to encourage students to meet with an advisor Advising Month, which kicks off November 1 and runs the entire month.
Students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor or a staff advisor to review their degree audit, figure out which courses they need to take, create a schedule and register for classes for next semester.
Registration begins:
- Tuesday, November 12, for current students with 30 or more credits
- Thursday, November 14, for current students fewer than 30 credits
Staff advisors are available for drop-in advising anytime during normal business hours — no appointment necessary — in the Advising Office in the South Portland Campus Center, or in the L.L.Bean Learning Commons on the Midcoast Campus.
You can also text Advising Office staff at 207-618-6327, call them at 207-741-5835, or email them at advising@smccME.edu.
For instant answers to questions, use the Advising Chat tool on My Maine Guide, staffed from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. through the month of November.
Be sure to keep your eye out for program-specific advising sessions that will be held throughout November.
Bell buoy showcases student skills
The new bell buoy hanging high above the stairwell in Jewett Hall doesn’t gong, but it’ll draw your attention nonetheless.
Students in SMCC’s Precision Machining & Manufacturing program manufactured the ornamental chime buoy by cutting aluminum plates to size, welding them together and painting them. They also manufactured a clapper in the shape of Spring Point Light on CNC (computer numeric control) tools in the precision machining laboratory.
The Facilities Department this month attached the chime to a curved beam high above the stairwell leading from Jewett Hall’s lobby to the Precision Machining & Manufacturing laboratories below.
The gong brings some character to the empty space above stairwell, while also showcasing the work of Precision Machining students, said Precision Machining Chair John Bolduc.
“The machining and welding skills of our students are on prominent display,” he said.
Job fairs on tap for South Portland, Midcoast campuses
Dozens of employers will be on SMCC’s South Portland and Midcoast campuses this week for two job fairs.
First up, on Tuesday, October 22, is the Southern Midcoast Internship and Hiring Event. SMCC’s Midcoast Campus and the Southern Midcoast CareerCenter are teaming up for the job fair, which will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the L.L.Bean Learning Commons.
Two days later, the annual SMCC Fall Job Fair will be held in the South Portland Campus Center. The event ― which was originally scheduled for last week but was postponed due to a power outage from Wednesday night’s powerful storm ― will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, October 24.
For SMCC students, the events provide an opportunity to meet face-to-face with potential employers and to look for internships. Students are advised to research companies ahead of time, bring resumes and dress to impress.
Employers attending the Midcoast Campus event are:
- Adecco NA
- Arcadia New England
- Bonney Staffing
- CareTree Healthcare
- Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
- Compounding Solutions
- General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
- HR Block
- Job Corps
- Kris-Way
- Living Innovations
- Maine Behavioral Health Organization
- Maine Department of Corrections
- Maine Department of Transportation
- MaineHealth
- Molnlycke
- NAPA Maine
- Pathways of Maine
- People Ready
- Pratt & Whitney
- Rubb, Inc.
- Spectrum
- Spurwink
- Sweetser
- Texas Instruments
- Tyson Foods
- Volt Workforce Solutions @ TI
- Windward Gardens
Employers scheduled to attend the South Portland Campus Job Fair are:
- Avita of Brunswick
- CareTree Healthcare
- City of South Portland
- Cumberland County Government
- Dowling Corp.
- Fiber Material Inc.
- General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
- Great Falls Construction
- H&R Block
- HMS Host
- Home Instead Senior Care
- Hunting Dearborn Inc.
- Idexx
- Lanco Integrated
- LearningWorks
- Maine General Health
- MaineHealth
- Manpower
- Martin’s Point Health Care
- Patriot Subaru
- Pratt & Whitney
- Red Cross of Maine
- SaviLinx
- Sodexo
- Sullivan Tire & Auto Service
- Texas Instruments
- Tilson
- U.S. Army
- Wayfair