With campus poverty and hunger a growing problem across the country, Bristol Community College and the Greater Boston Food Bank are teaming up to help low-income students.
On Monday, the food bank’s Mobile Food Market will travel to BCC to distribute fresh food from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the 777 Elsbree St. campus. The mobile market will be in parking lot No. 5 in front of the Hudnall Administration Building.
“It’s a valuable service that’s needed at BCC. We don’t have any statistics of how many of our students are homeless, but we know they’re here,” said Kathy Torpey Garganta, BCC associate vice president of enrollment service.
Many BCC students are single parents, underemployed or unemployed and struggle to make ends meet as they try to balance school, work and family as food prices rise, Garganta said.
BCC in Fall River is the second community college in the state to host the services of the Mobile Food Market.
In May and one week before final exams, about 290 low-income students at Bunker Hill College took home about 30 pounds of perishable food, said Joyce MacDonald, program manager for the food bank.
The mobile market started operations about one year ago and it allows the food bank to serve places that don’t have the infrastructure for a permanent food pantry, she said.
“The concept allows us to move food in many more places,” she said.
At Bunker Hill, the program has been a success and the mobile market has served about 150 students monthly since the initial distribution, she said. Plans are under way to establish a food pantry on campus.
On Monday, the food distribution at the BCC campus for the students will be like shopping at a farmer’s market, MacDonald said.
Once volunteer students and staff from BCC confirm the number of people in a student’s household, the participants are able to select among the offerings of fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products and meats.
How often the mobile market is available to local students will be determined by the need at the school and there are talks between the food bank and BCC to set up a permanent food pantry on campus, MacDonald said.
Participants are asked to bring their own shopping bags.
Students must register by Friday so the food bank staff can determine how much food needed at the site.
Students can sign up in person at the Rodgers Welcome Center in the Commonwealth College Center at the Elsbree Street Campus or online at http://www.bristolcc.edu/.
Email Jo C. Goode at jgoode@heraldnews.com.