Publish Date:  Dec 14, 2018

In a continuing pilot program this school year, 150 students and Child Development Center families experiencing food insecurity traded vouchers for bags of free food Friday through the Pop-Up Pantry. The USDA-funded program is a joint effort by the Office of Student Life and the college’s Foster Care Kinship Program in partnership with the Food Bank of Monterey County.

The bags included beans, pasta, tuna, canned vegetables, potatoes, apples and bread – intended to equate to two or three days of food, said Augustine Nevarez, director of student affairs.

The first Pop-Up Pantry was Nov. 9, and a third is set for Dec. 14. Staff and students are evaluating the program and considering other ways to address food needs, Nevarez said.