Fullerton College offers many forms of aid to students who are facing financial hardship. The Fullerton College Food Bank Collaborative is one of these services. But currently, the resources are running low.

The Fullerton College Inter-Club Council is holding a food drive to replenish the Food Bank resources, the drive will be held through Friday, March 22.

The Food Bank is supported entirely by contributions by faculty, staff, and students.

Last fall, the campus club MEChA held its annual food drive and met their goal of feeding 300 families. The Inter Club-Council is sponsoring the drive this semester; they have high hopes that this semester will be successful once again.

“I hope to bring in a substantial amount of food so we can deliver it to the food bank at the end; we don’t want the boxes to be empty,” said Daniel Orozco, President of the Inter-Club Council.

Many college campuses have food pantries in order to meet the needs of students who are financially struggling.

According to a statement made in 2012 by the Student Equity Committee, a challenge with students that are in need, is that it is difficult for them to admit that it’s OK to receive help and seek out proper aid.

It is a common misconception that because Fullerton College is such a beautiful campus, that poverty and hunger isn’t an issue with the students; that there is a bigger need than most of us assume that there would be, said Adela Lopez, Department Coordinator for Ethnic Studies and the adviser for MEChA.

“Poverty and hunger is an epidemic. This is supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world. If its happening here, its happening in many other places,” said Lopez.

Lopez recalled a student she had that had not eaten in three days and was taking final exams, others have passed out in class or suffered from migraines from starvation.

The Food Bank receives 100 percent of its food from donations. Donations can be dropped off at the different boxes reserved for the drive that will be around campus.

There are 20,000 students at FC excluding faculty & staff. “[Fullerton College] is like a little city. If everybody brought just one item of food for the whole semester, we would have at least 20,000 things here,” Lopez suggested.

“If 20,000 of us bring a can to school on one day, we shouldn’t have to do more for that semester and maybe even carry us through the summer,” Lopez said hopefully.

Donations are always needed and if any student would like to volunteer, they can sign-up in the Inter-Club Council office located in room 221. Other ways to help are promoting by word of mouth and by making and posting signs, said Darlene Jensen, Director of Student Activities.

Canned and non-perishable items that can be donated to the food bank are: canned meats, soups, beans, vegetables, fruits, and baby food/formula, cereals, peanut butter, dry noodles, rice, and juice.

The Food Bank is open this semester until May 28. It will be open on Tuesdays from noon until 2 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in room 1955, located in the portable classrooms between the pool and the staff parking lot on Chapman Avenue.

According to Lopez, “[The Food Bank] maintains the utmost in privacy and student confidentiality, we want people to feel as comfortable coming here as possible.”

Students who are in need of food are encouraged to walk in during their hours of operation and bring a current schedule print-out as well as student identification card.

Students who use the Food Bank are also asked to bring a re-useable grocery bag in order to reduce waste and support. For more information go to their Facebook page www.facebook.com/FoodBankFC