After sending a campus wide online survey for students to find the extent of food and housing insecurity on campus, Santa Ana College’s Associated Student Government intends to have a market to address food insecurity.
“It’s a work in progress,” said ASG Senator and Vice President placeholder Maria del Carmen Luna. “By next semester, ASG plans to have some sort of ‘farmer’s food market’ on campus.”
Although the official results of the survey have not been released, the survey consisted of questions asking about their economic status, their lack of basic needs they go through, etc. to have a grasp of how many students are food insecure on campus.
CalFresh is a state nutrition assistance program that can award up to $192 a month to buy groceries. Every Thursday, SAC’s Extended Opportunity Programs office has a CalFresh representative come in to look at applications from EOPS students, which most students are eligible for, but are not mandatory to apply to.
By contrast, for example, Santiago Canyon College, our sister school, launched The Hawk’s Nest Food Pantry in 2017 to provide food for food-insecure students. Students at SCC are also encouraged to enroll in CalFresh when they apply for CalWorks.
“[ASG] understands and supports the importance of a food pantry on campus,” said ASG President Mariano Cuellar. “Not only can we address the issue at hand, but advocate for the entirety of Santa Ana College.”
