BREMERTON, Wash., Nov. 3 – The Bremer Trust has issued a generous leadership gift of $25,000 to Olympic College's Hunger-Free Campus Initiative, providing crucial and immediate support for students facing food insecurity. This challenge gift is designed to inspire our donor community to match their generosity, doubling the impact to $50,000 and helping to feed students across OC’s service district of Kitsap and Mason counties.
“I’m grateful for the Bremer Trust’s longtime support of Olympic College, and this generous $25,000 leadership match comes at exactly the right moment. I call on our community of donors to rise to this challenge to double our impact for OC students who are counting on us right now,” said Executive Director of the OC Foundation Kimberly Cizek Allen.
The donation comes at a critical time as many OC students are dealing with increased economic stress, including those impacted by the recent extended federal government shutdown.
With approximately 39% of OC students facing food insecurity, the college's Hunger-Free Campus Initiative supports on-campus food pantries that assist more than 800 students annually. The funds raised from this matching gift will directly supply and expand the pantries at OC campuses in Bremerton, Poulsbo, and Shelton, while also supporting our military-connected students, including those in the apprenticeship and helper programs at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF).
The Bremer Trust has been a dedicated partner in the success of OC students for nearly 40 years, providing funding for capital projects, scholarships, and student life.
"Stepping in with these funds will have an immediate impact on students who are already managing significant academic and economic stress," said Trustee Barbara Stephenson. "The need to help hard-working students striving to create a better life through education is even more important today, especially as resources they rely on to feed themselves and their families are threatened or halted."
How To Contribute and Double Your Impact:
Make a Financial Donation: Businesses and individuals are encouraged to maximize their impact by donating to the Hunger-Free Campus Initiative to secure your match.
To contribute, please visit the OC Foundation website and click “Give Now.”
Attend the Pack the Pantry Event: The community is also invited to the Pack the Pantry event on Thurs., Nov. 6 at 5pm at the OC Bremerton Campus. Matching financial donations, as well as food and supplies, will be accepted. This event will feature student stories, networking, and light refreshments.
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About Olympic College
You’re on a journey and Olympic College will help you reach your destination. Leading-edge programs. World-class facilities. Small class sizes. Professors who know you by name. A welcoming community. We offer all of this and more at a fraction of the cost of universities. Your first stop is the Olympic College Welcome Center, where you’ll receive one-on-one help with every step in the admissions process. Start your journey at Olympic.edu.
About the Bremer Trust
The Bremer Trust was created in 1987 to support the success of Olympic College, serving Kitsap and Mason counties. The Trust manages the former holdings of John and Edward Bremer (both deceased), real estate barons and sons of Bremerton's founder William Bremer and his wife, Sophia. Find out more at bremertrust.org.
