Finding free food is as simple as driving or walking to school.
Students in need of food for themselves or their families can go to SFCC’s Food Bank which is supported by local donations to pick out some food to help with their meal.
“Quite a few people didn’t know it was here,” Heidi Wooley, an employee at the Food Bank said, “they accidentally stumbled in.”
The Food Bank is located in Building 17 right down the corridor of the ASG office in Room 139 . At the Food Bank students can go in and pick out food for their families. Students can chose from various produce, meat, box dinners, bread, and sometimes clothing items and toilet paper. The Food Bank was created to help supplement a student’s meal, not to the main supply. There is a limit on how many times a student can visit the Food Bank.
“Students can visit the Food Bank up to three times a quarter,” Miracle Jones, the director of the Food Bank said.
In order to use the Food Bank students need to bring in their Student ID with the current quarter sticker and then fill out a form about how many people are in their family. Students are limited by weight for most food items except for produce and bread which is limited by number. Each person is allowed 13.5 lbs and the number is increased by how many people are in each family.
“A lot of people that come in have big families,” said Jones. The Food Bank
relies on donations to help feed the families. A book of how many students visit the Food Bank is kept in order to submit to Second Harvest, the supplier for most of the food for the Food Bank.
According to Jones, the Food Bank averages about 138 students. Students can make donations to the Food Bank with either food brought directly to the room or cash. Cash donations should be brought to Shelli Cockle in Building 17 in Room 124.
“People take what they need, mostly bread, hash browns, and meat,” said Jones.
Students are welcome to volunteer and help the program by working at The Food Bank.
“The Food Bank is always looking for volunteers to help in the main room or at the Farmer’s Market, said Jones.”
The Farmer’s Market is hosted by the Food Bank every third Thursday of the month in the Sub Lounge. At the Farmer’s Market students can use their student ID to collect food for their families just like the regular Food Bank without the weight limitation.
“I have a family of four, it was quite a bit of food, we didn’t even use it all,” said Ronald Sheck, an SFCC student.
At the Farmer’s Market students have a larger selection of food than what is normally at the Food Bank to help their families.
“There is mostly produce and things that are in season,” said Jones. The food at the Food Bank and Farmer’s Market is always fresh and in season. Students have access to the facilities everyday from 9:30AM-4:30PM.
“I use it myself and it’s very helpful at the end of the month. I encourage students to use it if they need it. ” said Wooley.