{"id":11239,"date":"2025-10-18T10:04:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T10:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/11239\/"},"modified":"2025-10-18T10:04:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T10:04:12","slug":"mission-college-fights-student-hunger-one-meal-at-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/11239\/","title":{"rendered":"Mission College Fights Student Hunger One Meal at a Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

From their start a century ago, community colleges\u2019 mission has been making education accessible to everyone.<\/p>\n

The West Valley-Mission Community College District (WVMCCD) has long led the way in its definition of making education accessible; offering health care, food pantry and child care.<\/p>\n

Last month, in a Mission College ribbon-cutting, WVMCCD debuted its Free Caf\u00e9s, where there\u2019s no charge for food. The first-of-its-kind $10.8 million program was paid for by local property taxes, and rolled out in 74 days.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is about removing one of the quietest but most painful barriers to success,\u201d said Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor. \u201cIt\u2019s about equity. It\u2019s about health. It\u2019s about making sure that students can focus on their goals and their dreams, not on where their next meal will come from.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas Cuisine, the caf\u00e9 operator<\/a>, isn\u2019t just a vendor. Thomas also shares the mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom day one, we saw an alignment with our values,\u201d said Thomas Cuisine VP of Operations Willie Cho. \u201cWe wanted to be a part of this revolution in providing a free meal program to students [who] were struggling with food insecurity.\u201d<\/p>\n

College student food insecurity is growing, the federal Department of Education reported<\/a> in 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver my 20 years in higher education, I\u2019ve met students who\u2019ve gone without eating for days,\u201d said Mission College president Seher Awan. \u201cThey weren\u2019t sure where their next meal would come from, or had to make the choices between paying rent or eating. It\u2019s not just food. The ability to share meals with friends brings a sense of belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the 2020 COVID pandemic, the Santa Clara Unified School District began offering free meals for all students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe program started because the district recognized that so many people who need the help refused to identify themselves as needing the help, because there was so much shame around it,\u201d said WVMCCD board chair Ann Kepner.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo instead of having children go hungry,\u201d she continued, \u201cthe decision was made to offer free meals to all of the students. But none of this is possible without the support of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Student Trustee Jonah Pirnejad saw the social impact of food insecurity when a fellow student avoided joining other students for meals. When Pirnejad asked why his classmate didn\u2019t join the group after class, the young man told him that he didn\u2019t have the money to eat in the cafeteria.<\/p>\n

Pirnejad paid for his classmate\u2019s meal and made sure that the young man was included in the mealtime get-togethers.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo the day without food, see how you function,\u201d Pirnejad said. \u201cSee how difficult it is to move, to walk, to think. Now imagine doing that while taking biology, chemistry, physics, mechanical engineering courses. You\u2019d be drowning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Free Caf\u00e9 was born in 2014 when WVMCCD Chancellor Brad Davis discovered three soccer players unable to afford food before a state finals game in 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t play a competitive game without eating,\u201d said Davis, who made sure the players were able to eat during the tournament.<\/p>\n

Davis began exploring ways to ameliorate student hunger. One result was a mobile food pantry, providing free groceries for students.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did a survey of over 2,000 students,\u201d said Davis. \u201cThose students were clear: they needed help with food. In the first nine days that the cafeterias were open, we served 22,000 free meals to our students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Davis circles back to the core community college mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur communities are stronger when we take care of students and don\u2019t leave talent on the sidelines. Talent is equitably distributed, but opportunity is not,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s talent that we need to remain successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carolyn Schuk can be reached at carolyn@santaclaraweekly.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Related Posts:
Mission College To Offer Bachelor\u2019s Degree in Emergency Services<\/a>
Mission College Offers Free Tuition Thanks to New State Bill<\/a><\/p>\n

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