Students need more than books and money to succeed at college. Like everyone else, students need adequate food in order to stay alert and not be hungry in class. With this new economy, money is limited, how is a student supposed to eat? This is a problem no one should have to go through. That’s why student Life has a program to help any student with this problem. The Los Medanos College Food Pantry is here on campus to help.

Student Life Coordinator John Nguyen is pleased with what the program stands for. Students who are having a hard time in life can get a little extra help with getting access to food. “Students can get food for free, no questions asked,” Nguyen said.

LMC staff members have the option to help out as well. According to Nguyen, staff can have $5 a month taken out of their paycheck to go to the Food Pantry fund.

The Food Pantry was founded in Spring of 2017. Nguyen is one of the founding staff members. Nguyen emplains, “the cool thing about it is that it’s community-based.” The program gets most of its funds from outside sources. Those funds are then used to stock the food pantry shelves.

However, clubs on campus who want to contribute to the cause can donate canned food. Clubs have a “semester competition to see which club donates the most cans.” Which makes helping our fellow students much easier. Giving them the much need nutrients to get through the day to day struggles students face.

Students needing food can stop by the Los Medanos Food Pantry, located just left to the Cafeteria.

Los Medanos student, Jaime Orozco is one of the volunteers who helps in the Food Pantry. Sometimes he can be seen pulling a large across campus filled with boxes of food. He stocks the Food Pantry whenever there is a delivery. The cart is often heavy. It gets stuck on corners. Although the job could take 2 people to complete, Orozco is content to complete it alone.

“I’ve been helping for about a year,” Orozco says. He does his part to keep the Pantry stocked, and he agrees that, “it’s a good program.” Furthermore, Orozco explains that “it’s good that we inform people about the Food Pantry.” Students who walk by can stop in when the Pantry is open to get information not only about Los Medanos’ program, but where to get food from sources in the community.”

Azi Carter, another Los Medanos student who volunteers in the Food Pantry, is happy to be involved. “This is my first semester [volunteering] and it is very rewarding to be in a place that serves the students at LMC.” Carter hopes that “more students will take advantage of it.”

Carter agrees that some students need some extra help. She says, “Just knowing there is some place on campus a currently enrolled student can feed themselves and their family is a wonderful community service.”

The food offered to the students is all healthy. There are also healthy snacks. Students wanting to partake in receiving food from the Food Pantry only have to follow 3 eligibility requirements. They must be a currently registered LMC student, they must have a current LMC ID and they must be willing to complete an intake form.

The Food Pantry is open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Students can get healthy food if they need it. If receiving is not an option, people can also donate food or money to help. Remember that donations cannot be expired or open. Money can be donated via check payable to “Los Medanos Foundation” or donated online at www.losmedanos.edu/foundation. Make a reference by putting “Food Pantry” in the notes.