Vandal Volunteerism
Joseph Tibesar graduated from the University of Idaho this month and he spent three years of his Vandal career volunteering with the Mobile Pantry in Moscow. Joseph is originally from Caldwell and he studied Operations and Supply Chain Management at the University of Idaho. He found that volunteering with the Mobile Pantry food distribution was a great way to help his community. It also allowed him to learn a bit more about the operations and logistics around charitable food distribution.
When he started volunteering with the Mobile Pantry, Joseph was surprised to see the level of need in the community. In the spring, the pantry served approximately 50 households a month in the Moscow community. When asked about food insecurity among college students, Joseph said there can be misconceptions that all college students have parents who pay for their schooling, but most students utilize loans, Pell grants, and/or scholarships for their education. Joseph knows that his fellow students cannot work all the time and also have time to study and go to class. Many students have a limited budget and they need to prioritize rent and utilities, so some additional food can make an impact on the monthly budget of a college student.
We appreciate the work of Joseph and everyone who volunteers with The Idaho Foodbank’s Mobile Pantry Program. Congratulations to Joseph and all of this year’s graduates!