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Stater Bros. Charities Donates $50,000 to Strengthen MSJC Food Pantries

11/9/2026

Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) received a generous $50,000 donation from Stater Bros. Charities to support its Eagles Landing Food 4 Thought Pantries, strengthening the college's efforts to combat food insecurity and help students meet their basic needs so they can focus on their education and achieve their goals.

The donation significantly boosted a program that has become a lifeline for hundreds of MSJC students each month. With food pantries operating at the San Jacinto and Menifee Valley campuses, Eagles Landing recorded between 300 and more than 700 student visits monthly, depending on the time of year.

For many students balancing college coursework, employment, and family responsibilities, access to nutritious food can make the difference between staying enrolled and falling behind.

"At MSJC, we recognize that student learning is nearly impossible when they don’t have the resources and support they need, both inside and outside the classroom," said Dr. Tawny Dotson, MSJC Superintendent/President. "This investment from Stater Bros. Charities reflects the power of community partnerships to transform lives. When we remove barriers such as food insecurity, we give our students a greater opportunity to focus on their education, reach their full potential, and build a better future for themselves and their families."

MSJC's efforts to address student food insecurity began in November 2017, when a small task force organized the first pop-up food pantry at the San Jacinto Campus. The initiative soon expanded to the Menifee Valley Campus, with pop-up food distributions continuing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, MSJC officially opened its Food 4 Thought Pantries at both campuses, establishing permanent resources to help students face food insecurity.

Lisa Campbell, MSJC Associate Dean of Student Services, who spearheaded the college's food pantry initiative, has witnessed firsthand how access to food and basic necessities can transform students' educational experiences.

"What began with small pop-up food pantries has grown into Eagles Landing Food 4 Thought Pantry, a program dedicated to ensuring that no student has to choose between putting food on the table and pursuing their education," Campbell said. "I have seen firsthand the impact that food insecurity has on our students and the difference it makes when someone steps in to help."

Beyond providing food and essential supplies, Eagles Landing has created opportunities for students to support their peers, develop professional skills, and strengthen their connection to the college community.

“Behind every pantry visit is a student with a story, a goal, and challenges we may never fully see,” said Alyssa West, MSJC Interim Basic Needs Coordinator. 

“Our pantries offer more than groceries; they provide relief, stability, and reassurance that students are not alone. Thanks to community partners like Stater Bros. Charities, we can continue removing barriers and helping students focus on their education and future.”

For Jonah Velasquez, an MSJC student worker who grew up in the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley, working at the pantry has given him a chance to give back to the community that shaped him.

"Being able to serve students and others in a community I care so deeply about has been incredibly meaningful," Velasquez said. "It has positively impacted my life by teaching me the importance of compassion, responsibility, teamwork, and helping others."

Fellow student worker Reina De La Cruz emphasized that the pantry's impact extended beyond providing groceries.

"Not every student has easy access to food, and having a pantry available helps take some of that stress away so they can focus more on their education and personal goals," De La Cruz said. "Our pantry is more than just a place to get food; it shows students that their community cares about their well-being and wants to see them succeed."

The $50,000 contribution from Stater Bros. Charities reinforced the importance of community partnerships in addressing barriers to higher education. The funding will help MSJC expand its capacity to serve students experiencing food insecurity and strengthen support for students and their families.

“At Stater Bros. Charities, we believe students should not have to choose between pursuing an education and having enough food to eat,” said Nancy Negrette, Chairman and President of Stater Bros. Charities. 

“We are proud to support Mt. San Jacinto College and its Eagles Landing Food 4 Thought Pantries, which provide more than nutritious food. They offer stability, dignity, and peace of mind so students can focus on their education and achieving their goals. These students are working hard to build a brighter future for themselves, their families, and their communities. By investing in their success, we are helping create opportunities that will strengthen our Southern California communities for generations to come.”

For Campbell, the donation also represented an affirmation of the work that began nearly a decade earlier with a small group of employees determined to make a difference.

"This gift represents so much more than financial support; it represents hope, compassion, and a commitment to ensuring that our students have the resources they need to succeed," Campbell said. 

"When students have access to nutritious food and the essentials they need, they can spend less time worrying about where their next meal will come from and more time focusing on their education, achieving their goals, and building a brighter future."

Through partnerships like this, MSJC continues advancing its commitment to student success by recognizing that educational opportunity extends beyond the classroom. By helping students meet their most fundamental needs, the college and its community partners work together to remove barriers and create pathways to a brighter future.

Charlotte Wall, Community Relations Manager for Stater Bros., tours the Eagles Landing Food 4 Thought Pantry at MSJC's San Jacinto Campus and learns how the program supports students facing food insecurity.

MSJC Superintendent/President Dr. Tawny Dotson and Lisa Campbell, MSJC Associate Dean of Student Services, accept a $50,000 donation from Charlotte Wall, Community Relations Manager for Stater Bros., on behalf of the college's Eagles Landing Food 4 Thought Pantries. Stater Bros. Charities' generous contribution will help provide food and essential resources to MSJC students in need.

MSJC staff and Stater Bros. Charities representatives gather outside the Eagles Landing Food 4 Thought Pantry at the San Jacinto Campus to celebrate a $50,000 donation supporting students facing food insecurity.

About Stater Bros. Charities
 
Stater Bros. Charities is a community-funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and philanthropic arm of Stater Bros. Markets that supports the critical needs in the communities where Stater Bros. teammates and customers live and work. Our mission is to uplift Southern California communities through fundraising and investing in local nonprofits that provide hands-on support. As a passionate community partner, we champion and advance nonprofit goals focused on hunger relief, children’s well-being, education, health, care for veterans, active service members, and first responders, as well as pet well-being. Since 2008, Stater Bros. Charities has invested over $60 million in numerous local organizations and causes, thanks to the generosity of our customers, supplier friends, and caring members of the Stater Bros. Markets Team.