Mission Market Gives Food to Students in Need
Gone are the days when students facing hunger are forced to choose between buying groceries or a tank of gas to get to their classes at Mission College. The Mission Market, which opened last month, is a new food pantry on campus. It's open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., providing free groceries including fresh fruits and vegetables and other perishable foods. Mission Market is a game-changer for our students, particularly low-income students who are balancing the costs of their education with the high cost of living in Silicon Valley.
According to the California Student Aid Commission, one in three college students in California struggle with food or housing insecurity. When local supporters, Gary and Elaine Schlegel, learned that many local students regularly experience hunger, they reached out to the West Valley-Mission Foundation to see how they could help. When I explained our goal to alleviate food insecurity on our campuses, they immediately jumped at the opportunity to help get the new food pantry opened at Mission College. The Schlegels' donation was more than just a gift to help get Mission Market up and running. The donation was symbolic of a shared belief throughout our community that no student should have to choose between paying for their education and paying for the basic necessities in life.
On its opening day, Mission Market served nearly 100 students, underscoring the critical need for such a resource on campus. Connor Keese, Director of Outreach & Student Development at Mission College, knows that this is just the beginning for what Mission Market can do to help alleviate hunger on campus. "It is great to see students taking advantage of the opportunity to get nutritious food from Mission Market. We are committed to continuous improvement and welcome feedback from our students. Their experiences and insights are invaluable in refining our operations so that we can serve even more students in the future."
In addition to its commitment to Mission Market's success, Mission College is dedicated to supporting students with other basic needs and emergency assistance. Students facing challenges related to food, access to technology, emergency financial needs, mental health, or housing assistance can visit the Mission Cares website, to learn more about all the ways the college can support them.
If you would like to donate to support Mission Market or the other programs designed to help meet students' basic needs, please contact us. It takes a village to make these resources available year-round. Every donation helps a student in need.
