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To help better serve the basic needs of food-insecure students and staff, Gavilan College has opened a free food pantry at the new Hollister Campus. Open three days a week, the well-stocked cubby is a collaboration between the college and the Community FoodBank of San Benito County, and was unveiled during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 25. It is open to Gavilan students and staff as well as those in need in the local community.
“Food insecurity is one of the biggest challenges for students,” said Gavilan College President Dr. Pedro Avila. “For us to be able to provide food and make sure that no student goes hungry is really important, because we know that when students have access to food, they also do better in school.”
The idea for the pantry was inspired by a similar collaboration between the FoodBank and Hollister High School, which began in 2019, said Judy Rodriguez, the high school’s site director. Annette Gutierrez, Gavilan’s director of basic needs and success, worked with the FoodBank’s Fatima Vazquez to turn it into a reality.
“As the campus here began to evolve,” Gutierrez said, “we knew we wanted to expand on that partnership. I got in touch with Fatima, who set us up. They provide us with fresh foods and staples weekly, we pick it up and we stock our pantry.”
Gutierrez enthusiastically pointed to items available on opening day: “We have rice, beans, pasta, canned peaches, tomatoes, granola bars, pasta sauce, rice, butter, and yogurt. We have lettuce, radishes, cilantro, bell peppers, salad kits, and hard boiled eggs. We have lunchables, and things for students to grab on the go.”
The pantry also has perpetual student favorites like Top Ramen and Cup Noodles, novelties like Jell-o Cups and Slim Jims, and kits filled with basic hygiene products.
“About a third of all community college students suffer or struggle with one basic need or another,” Gutierrez said. “An astonishingly high number of students go hungry. This pantry allows us to provide for them so they can focus on their education.”
Avila said that one of his memories of being a student was always being hungry, and he was committed to the idea that no Gavilan student would be in the same position.
“Two years ago,” he said, “we invested $250,000 to establish a meal program so that our students in need can have free food in our cafeteria, here and on our Gilroy campus. And there’s about a thousand students that are currently taking advantage of that program.”
Avila said that student retention has markedly improved, going from 74% to 82%, as students were able to have their basic needs met.
“The data shows clearly that there is a correlation between food and being able to get to classes and be engaged,” he said. “Food is so important to our work, so we want to make sure that this is sustainable.”
Guillermo Rodriguez, FoodBank executive director, said the pantry is intended for students but is open to Gavilan staff and nearby community members who are in need. The goal of the pantry, he said, is to encourage and empower students, allowing them to maintain their dignity and self-respect.
“One thing that we’re seeing with the one at Hollister High,” he said, “is that the community is really appreciative of being there because it removes the stigma of going to a food bank. Because it’s at the high school, people can think, ‘I’m just getting help from my school.’”
One unique feature of the Gavilian pantry is that it has always been included in the campus’s plans, dating back to the original blueprints.
“Many colleges don’t designate a special area just for food pantries,” Rodriguez said. “They might just choose the kitchen or something like that. But we actually have a food pantry right by the entrance of the building.”
The pantry is only one of the programs for Gavilan students who need a helping hand. Students who are eligible for assistance can get $150 a month in credit at the college cafe. The college also offers $200 mini-grants that students can access once a semester to help with transportation or hygiene costs. Gutierrez believes these forms of assistance, along with the pantry, will have a profound impact.
“We are helping potentially thousands of individuals every single month,” Gutierrez said, “I am so honored to be in this role, but it is a team effort, and I look forward to expanding on things like the pantry as we move through our journey here In Hollister.”
The Gavilan pantry is located at the front entrance to the Hollister campus building at 505 Fairview. It is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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