From campus to community: CCC students make a difference through service

By Paula Vess | Cleveland Community College

Ai generated file photo

CLEVELAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE – Three Cleveland Community College cosmetology students are proving that service goes far beyond the salon chair; it reaches into the heart of the community.

Kenyatta Eskridge, Kallie McCoid, and Grace Pribble are representing CCC in the SkillsUSA Community Service Project competition, using their platform to support Washington Outreach Ministry, a local organization dedicated to providing food to individuals and families in need.

The trio chose Washington Outreach after realizing just how many people in their own community struggle with food insecurity. “There are more people in need than what we knew,” said Eskridge. “We need more people to make a difference, to get involved.”

Through their project, the students have combined hands-on service with creative outreach. They partnered with Healthy Together Cleveland and HealthCare Foundation of Cleveland County, which works closely with the ministry, and volunteered on-site, packing and distributing food to community members. On March 6, they joined other volunteers, including CCC volleyball players and Gardner-Webb University football players, to help with food distribution.

“It was really nice to watch the community come together,” said Pribble. “What Washington Outreach is doing is a good thing. I just wish more people knew about it.”

To raise awareness and increase donations, the students launched a campus initiative: donate three canned goods and receive $5 off a cosmetology service. They promoted the effort through flyers, social media, and campus LED screens.

They also plan to return to Washington Outreach, helping with the food distribution and handing out coupons for free services in CCC’s Cosmetology Department.

Washington Outreach Ministry serves approximately 16,000 individuals each month through food giveaways and partnerships with local pantries across Cleveland County.

Some of the collected donations will also support CCC’s student food pantry, extending the project’s impact even further.

For McCoid, the experience has been both eye-opening and personally rewarding. “There are more people who need food and even clothes,” she said. “I enjoy helping others. It makes me feel better about myself.”

The project is part of the SkillsUSA competition. This national organization promotes workforce development in the skilled trades, emphasizing the development of personal, workplace, and technical skills grounded in academics, something these students are clearly putting into practice.

As part of the competition, Eskridge, McCoid, and Pribble are compiling a detailed project notebook that includes surveys, reflections, and community feedback. They will submit their work and present highlights of their efforts and impact to a panel of judges on April 16 in Greensboro.

While the competition is an important milestone, the experience itself has left a lasting impression.

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“All it takes is one person,” said Eskridge. “Even if you can’t help directly, you can help spread the word.”

Pribble echoed that sentiment: “There are people in our community who need help, but there’s not enough people willing to help.” By just talking about the agencies and the work, she said, “You might touch someone who needs it.”

All three students say they plan to stay involved in service work moving forward, a sign that this project is just the beginning of their impact.

Their work is a reminder that when compassion meets initiative, even a small group can make a meaningful difference and inspire a few more people to join in along the way.

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Article provided by Cleveland Community College Marketing.

The Shelby Independent.