Thanks to the community’s support, Cerro Coso’s first “Hunger Free” Food Drive was a huge success.
“I want to personally thank everyone for their support and donations to this year’s ‘Hunger Free Food Drive’ to help stock the Hunger Free pantry for college students this spring,” said Outreach Director Katie Bachman. “The generosity of the community far exceeded our expectations and is a blessing to our efforts to ease food insecurities among our students.”
For many students today, food insecurity is just a few missed paychecks away. A 2018 study found that 36% of college students are experiencing hunger and lack stable housing. During an Ohio State University 2017 study on Collegiate Financial Wellness, it was discovered that 58.7% of Cerro Coso students worry about not having enough money for food to get them through the month. Feeling insecure about where to find the next meal can have huge psychological and academic effects on college students, including poor physical and mental health and a decrease in completion, persistence, and credit attainment rates.
Tackling hunger is a big job. The Hunger Free Campus program at Cerro Coso was created to address food insecurity among students.
“Generous donations like these go a long way in the college’s efforts to see that no student should have to learn on an empty stomach. We are so thankful,” concluded Bachman.
Picture Caption: Cerro Coso students (l to r) Francis Yu, Audra Elroy and Marisol Fuentes collect food items for the college’s Hunger Free food pantry.
