An employee giving campaign at the Rudolph and Sletten construction company is helping fill the coffers of the newly formed Jag Kitchen Food Pantry.
In a ceremony Jan. 24, Rudolph and Sletten employees presented a check for $6,000 to the Jag Kitchen to provide relief for Southwestern College students facing food insecurity. The employee donation was made through the company’s Leo Jansing Fund, named in honor of one of Rudolph and Sletten’s employees. Each year, contributions are raised by employees and matched by the company and given to local organizations in which company employees are actively involved.
This isn’t the first time Rudolph and Sletten employees have come together in support of the Jag Kitchen. In the fall semester, Southwestern College’s Proposition R team hosted a friendly food drive competition among each campus contractor: Balfour Beatty, who is building the Wellness & Aquatic Complex; Rudolph and Sletten, who is building the Math, Science and Engineering Building; and Sundt, who is building the two-story expansion at the Higher Education Center at National City.
The fall food drive was judged by a per-serving category with Bealfour Beatty coming out on top with 9,262 servings of food donated. Sundt donated a total of 3,751 servings and Rudolph and Sletten donated 2,065 servings of food.
The food donations helped fill the food pantry to the ceiling before the holiday break, and the additional Rudolph and Sletten financial donation will greatly benefit the pantry, which is serving 150 meals a week.
“I am so touched by the generosity of Rudolph and Sletten who not only set up a competitive food drive that was overwhelmingly successful, but in addition, nominated the Jag Kitchen for the Leo Jansing charity fund in the amount of $6,000,” said Child Development Director Patricia Bartow, who oversees the Jag Kitchen. “This donation will directly impact the lives of Southwestern College students experiencing food insecurity by providing them with the resources necessary to meet their primary needs and support their success.”
The Jag Kitchen began in the fall semester to provide relief for students experiencing food insecurity at Southwestern College. With its creation came overwhelming support from the community, including a partnership with the San Diego Food Bank, local service organizations, churches and banks.
Leveraging their partnership with the Southwestern College Foundation, the Jag Kitchen is able to accept tax-deductible monetary donations through the Foundation’s 501 (c) 3 status. The Foundation also began an employee giving campaign last year to support the Jag Kitchen.
