Columbia Basin College TRIO Program Supports Second Harvest In Celebration Of National TRIO Day - 02/24/26

PASCO, WA - February 24, 2025 - Columbia Basin College (CBC) TRIO programs, including Student Support Services (SSS) and Upward Bound, are volunteering at Second Harvest on Wednesday, February 25, 3 to 5 pm at 5825 Burlington Loop, Pasco, WA. This event is part of a nationwide celebration with other colleges and universities commemorating the 40th annual National TRIO Day. The day recognizes the transformative impact of the Federal TRIO Programs, honoring the achievements of first-generation, income-eligible students, students with disabilities, and veterans pursuing higher education.

One of the key tenets of TRIO is service projects that benefit first-generation students. Second Harvest was chosen as this service project as it addresses the needs of food insecurity for many CBC students. Rising food prices and increasing living costs stretch many families. Hunger Free Washington states 17% of children in Franklin County and 18% of children in Benton County are food insecure.

“CBC is grounded in our local community; our students are reflected in these statistics. We continue to see the impact through the increased usage of our campus Food Pantry over the last several years”, says Rebekah S. Woods, President of CBC.

According to the American Psychological Association, food insecurity is more pronounced in community college students (23.4%) compared to students in 4-year institutions (20.9%). Food insecurity can affect a student's ability to dedicate time to their studies.

“TRIO programs at CBC are proud to give back to our community by supporting Second Harvest in response to the growing need for food resources in our area,” said Araceli Cumpston, Director for Student Support Services at CBC. “This year, we are celebrating 40 years of TRIO Programs. This milestone reminds us that TRIO was founded to address social, economic, and cultural barriers within higher education in the United States. By supporting local food access efforts, we not only honor our mission but also uplift and serve the communities our students come from.”

For more information about CBC TRIO SSS programs, visit columbiabasin.edu/sss or to learn more about National TRIO Day, visit coenet.org/national-trio-day-2.

Event Contact: Araceli Cumpston, 509-542-4868, acumpston@columbiabasin.edu

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Columbia Basin College (CBC) is a public community college serving the Tri-Cities and surrounding communities since 1955. CBC’s mission is to inspire, educate, and support all students in an environment of academic excellence leading to the completion of degrees, certifications, and educational transfers, while fostering meaningful employment, engaged citizenship, and a life-long joy of learning. CBC offers both two and four-year degrees and one-year Certificates. Bachelor of Applied Science degrees are offered in Applied Management, Applied Management in Agriculture or Healthcare Administration, Cyber Security, Dental Hygiene, Information Technology, Health Physics, Community Health, Teacher Education, and Project Management. CBC also offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Computer Science.

Columbia Basin College To Host 3-Day Shine The Light On Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign (Photo) - 01/26/26

PASCO, WA - January 26, 2026 - Columbia Basin College (CBC) today announced the College is hosting the Shine the Light on Human Trafficking 3-day awareness campaign on campus to call attention to human trafficking, a grave and real problem impacting our region. All activities are open to the public and coincide with Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

The events include:

• Tuesday, January 27, 11 am- Noon: a human chain of 108 people stretching from SWL to the HUB to represent the number of trafficked victims in our region
• Wednesday, January 28, 5 pm, Gjerde Center: a presentation by Davd Zach, nationally recognized human trafficking undercover operative, followed by a Q&A panel of experts from SARC and Mirror Ministries
• Thursday, January 29, 8:00 am – 1:40 pm, Planetarium: Human Trafficking educational films featuring David Zach.

Human trafficking disproportionately impacts some of the most vulnerable and underserved members of our society. Over 28 million people are trafficked worldwide, with an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 people trafficked in the United States each year, according to the Department of Justice. In fact, it is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world today. Traffickers prey on people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities, exploiting them for their own profit.

As a passionate advocate for combating trafficking, David Zach will discuss the factors that lead to trafficking and ways we can work together to raise awareness about this widespread crime.

Through his band Remedy Drive and their organization Daylight United, David has helped raise awareness and over THREE million dollars for frontline efforts to create a world where no human is bought, sold, or exploited. As an undercover operative, David was instrumental in rescuing over 1400 survivors and recruited hundreds of ordinary people into the fight against this horrible practice against humanity. Daylight United is a non-profit organization that partners with teams of law enforcement to find and free trafficked people and empower survivors with restorative care on their journey into freedom.

The events are a collaboration between the Associated Students of CBC Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society, SARC, Rotary, Soroptomist, and Mirror Ministries.

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Columbia Basin College (CBC) is a public community college serving the Tri-Cities and surrounding communities since 1955. CBC’s mission is to inspire, educate, and support all students in an environment of academic excellence leading to the completion of degrees, certifications, and educational transfers, while fostering meaningful employment, engaged citizenship, and a life-long joy of learning. CBC offers both two and four-year degrees and one-year Certificates. Bachelor of Applied Science degrees are offered in Applied Management, Applied