Learning Lab Internship: The Nest Student Food Pantry at Oakland Community College

Host Institution: The internship is conducted at Oakland Community College (OCC), specifically within the Office of Institutional Standards and Practices.
The Nest Student Food Pantry: This is a primary program under the Office of Institutional Standards and Practices, designed to support students facing food insecurity or basic needs challenges.
Expansion Status: The Nest is a new program that will officially launch on all OCC campuses this coming fall.
General Mission of the Office:
- Provide guidance and support to help students overcome structural and personal challenges.
- Connect students with both campus-based and community-level resources.
- Offer programs that promote engagement, well-being, and personal growth.
- Help students navigate college policies, expectations, and available services.
- Assist students experiencing barriers to success by providing appropriate resource referrals.

Direct Food Assistance: The pantry provides free food assistance, specifically focusing on non-perishable food items.
Essential Supplies: Provision of personal hygiene products.
Resource Navigation: Offering resource referrals to help students find support beyond food (e.g., housing, mental health).
Engagement Activities:
- Student support and outreach initiatives.
- Community awareness activities to reduce the stigma associated with food insecurity.

Core Issues: Many students face significant financial hardship and struggle to access nutritious food.
Impact on Academics: Food insecurity and the inability to meet basic needs can lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety.
Academic Success: These challenges directly affect a student’s ability move through courses successfully.
Environment Goal: The Nest aims to address these needs in a supportive, stigma-free environment to ensure students feel comfortable seeking help.

Requirements: The eligibility requirements are designed to be simple and low-barrier.
Inclusivity: Any OCC student is eligible to use the services at The Nest.
Verification: Students only need to present their OCC student ID card to access services.
Communication Channels: Students learn about these services through various avenues:
- Faculty members and academic advisors.
- Counselors and student services staff.
- Campus outreach events, such as tabling events and open houses.
- Official OCC communications and the college website.

Weekly Themed Tabling Events: Participation in promotional events across campuses to raise awareness of the fall launch. Specific themes mentioned include:
- Protein Power theme.
- Donut theme.
- Jauntine theme (scheduled for the current week).
Facilitating Student Focus Groups: A focus group is defined as a research tool where sessions are conducted with students to listen to their ideas, assumptions, opinions, experiences, and biases regarding food insecurity and support services.
Resource Collection and Translation:
- Systematically collecting and organizing community resource lists relative to food assistance, housing, mental health, and transportation.
- Translation project: Translating these resource lists into Arabic to improve accessibility for the Arabic-speaking student population.
Additional Professional Activities:
- Attending agency meetings and committee meetings.
- Participating in professional development events.
- Completion of Mental Health First Aid training.
- Shadowing staff at OCC Access, an office that supports students with disabilities.

Invisibility of Food Insecurity: A critical lesson learned is that food insecurity is often invisible; students may struggle quietly or feel embarrassed to seek help.
Importance of Small Acts: Support, respect, and understanding are vital in making a meaningful difference in a student's life.
Ethical Decision-Making:
- The experience emphasized that making ethical decisions requires reflection, consultation with supervisors, and careful consideration of professional values.
- The internship strengthened the intern's understanding of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics.

Identified Skills for Development:
- Communication skills and professional boundaries.
- Cultural competence.
- Community outreach and advocacy.
- Empathy and ethical decision-making.
Anticipated Challenge: Assisting students in feeling comfortable enough to discuss their personal needs.
Mitigation Strategies: To address this, the intern plans to practice active listening, build rapport, demonstrate empathy, learn from supervisor feedback, and maintain continuous reflection.

Tabling Schedule (10:00 AM to 1:00 PM):
- Tuesdays: Auburn Hills campus.
- Wednesdays: Orchard Ridge campus.
- Thursdays: Royal Oak campus.
Key Dates:
- Grand Opening: September 8, 2026 ( $09/08/2026$ ).
- Open House: Scheduled for the same month as the grand opening.