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Waubonsee Community College has officially unveiled its new Center for Student Assistance on the Sugar Grove Campus, establishing a comprehensive hub dedicated to providing long-term support for students.
Seamlessly integrated into the Center is The G.R.O.V.E. Food Pantry—where Waubonsee staff (G)ather (R)esources and (O)ffer (V)ital (E)ssentials for all students. The G.R.O.V.E. Food Pantry offers free, non-perishable groceries to students and their families, with additional G.R.O.V.E. EXPRESS care cabinets and/or G.R.O.V.E. SNACK STOP Care baskets available across all four campuses. The Snack baskets will have snacks and quick ready to eat meals available. The Cabinet will have a mix of snacks as well as shelf stable pantry items.
Beyond immediate food access, the Center for Student Assistance offers all Waubonsee students hands-on benefits navigation, directly assisting students with applications for vital state programs like SNAP and Medicaid—while rapidly expanding long-term support for housing, transportation, childcare, legal aid, health insurance, and dedicated resources for undocumented students.
“When basic needs aren’t met, students cannot thrive in the classroom,” said Andrea Egle, Student Support Services Manager. “The Center for Student Assistance gives us a dedicated hub across our four campuses where students know someone has their back. Expanding our food resources creates a true bridge for our students and their families, giving them a reliable way to secure groceries for the week or month. Waubonsee has always operated under the principle that ‘Waubonsee Cares,’ and this center represents a dedicated investment in ensuring our students know somebody has their back.”
The Center for Student Assistance is a direct outcome of the “S” or “Strengthen the Student Experience” in RISE 2030, Waubonsee’s five-year strategic plan. More than 160 faculty and staff, alongside the student-led RISE Advisory Council, have committed to addressing the needs of Waubonsee's student body, which is as diverse as our region. Providing a culture of care, Waubonsee is clarifying organizational roles and responsibilities to support the whole student and ensure they receive the support they need in and out of the classroom. Learn more about RISE at waubonsee.edu/RISE.
Waubonsee student leader Faith Essenburg knows how vital support services are. A mother of three serving on the RISE Advisory Council, Essenburg earned her Illinois High School Diploma and navigated both online and in-person classes, relying on Waubonsee’s tutoring and support staff whenever life felt overwhelming. However, as economic pressures mounted and government support programs shifted, she realized that academic dedication alone was not enough to feed a family.
“Balancing a job, full-time school, and getting my kids through their days stretches everything thin,” said Essenburg.
While participating in a Social Leaders poster presentation and conducting research on regional food scarcity, Essenburg felt personally moved by a statistic. “It hit home hard when I discovered that over 40% of Waubonsee students struggle with basic needs.”
Essenburg channeled her marketing background and research into a formal proposal to expand Waubonsee’s Care Baskets into a permanent food pantry. Her proposal resonated deeply with college leadership, aligning directly with Waubonsee’s mission to remove non-academic barriers to education.
"I may have presented the final proposal, but the G.R.O.V.E. Food Pantry is the result of students and faculty coming together to take care of one another," said Essenburg, who looks forward to graduating with the Class of 2027. "Waubonsee isn't just changing the narrative around food insecurity—they are empowering us to change our lives, the lives of our children, and the future of our communities. Knowing there is support on campus takes a massive weight off my shoulders.”
To ensure The G.R.O.V.E. operates with maximum efficiency, warmth, and dignity, Waubonsee tapped into the creative talents of student workers. John Metych, a recent graduate with a passion for culinary arts, brought his expertise directly to pantry shelves. Metych developed an organized inventory system and crafted custom meal-planning recipe cards tailored to the ingredients available each week.
"Based on my passion for cooking and food nutrition, I wanted to make sure students left not just with ingredients, but with simple, delicious meal ideas," said Metych, who aspires to open his own culinary business. "My hope is that when students walk into The G.R.O.V.E. Food Pantry, they realize they aren't alone, that there is a supportive community here, and that Waubonsee truly cares for them."
The G.R.O.V.E. Food Pantry will be open at convenient hours throughout the week for Waubonsee students. The official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Wednesday, September 9, with many announced opportunities to donate before then and throughout the academic year. Learn more at waubonsee.edu/cares.
Pictured Above: Waubonsee Community College is proud to announce the launch of The G.R.O.V.E. Food Pantry—where Waubonsee staff (G)ather (R)esources and (O)ffer (V)ital (E)ssentials for all students. Waubonsee student workers John Metych (Left) and Germaine Mwizera (Right) stock the shelves ahead of the fall semester. The G.R.O.V.E. Food Pantry is available to all students and their families.
