by Maureen Rubalcaba, Dean of Student Equity
SDCEats! has been busy every day since its opening on April 30, 2018. The food pantry market at ECC has served over 250 students in its nearly 4 weeks of operation. SDCEats! food pantry market is located in room 57 directly across from our Outreach and Student Affairs Office (room 61C). SDCEats! is currently open Mondays and Wednesdays 12:30 to 2:30 pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 am to 11 am and again from 1 pm to 3 pm. SDCEats! Is open for shoppers only during posted hours of operation.
As a reminder, in partnership with SDCE’s Foundation, Feeding San Diego, and San Diego Rescue Mission through Partners for Hunger Relief, SDCEats! operates as a choice pantry. Shoppers receive 10 points per week and choose what goes in their bags. A choice-style market, which is more like a grocery store than a food bank, has provided nearly 130 breakfasts and 185 complete meals to over 250 shoppers (students) in its first month of operation.
As SDCEats! begins to adopt a variety of approaches to achieve both short- and long-term goals of feeding hungry students and decreasing food insecurity for our students and community, we are actively seeking opportunities for collaboration through donations and volunteers. WE NEED DONATIONS!
SDCEats! is now accepting donations of non-perishable, dry goods (i.e. peanut butter, granola bars, dried fruits, juice boxes, shelf milk, single serve cereals and soups) for the food pantry market. Below is a list of 25 best foods for food donations but we are also in need of pre-packaged, healthy snack items and water bottles. Donations may be dropped off at ECC in room 116 from 8:30 am to 5 pm or directly to SDCEats!, room 57, during our regular hours of operation as noted above.
If you are interested in volunteering with SDCEats! in any capacity, please let us know! We have volunteer opportunities available for staff, administrators, and students.
As we move forward in our mission to preserve the dignity and autonomy of our students, we are striving to address food security in the communities we serve. Please contact me with any questions about hours, services, or how you can be a part of the SDCEats! volunteer team at mrubalcaba@sdccd.edu or at extension 4894.
The best non-perishable foods to donate:
- canned beans
- dry beans
- peanut butter, or other nut butters
- rolled oats
- canned fruit in juice, not in light or heavy syrup
- canned vegetables, with no or low-sodium
- low-sodium soups
- canned tuna in water
- canned chicken
- brown rice
- quinoa
- nuts, unsalted
- seeds, unsalted
- shelf stable milk and milk substitutes
- whole grain pasta
- low-sodium pasta sauce
- popcorn kernels (not microwave popcorn)
- canned stews
- unsweetened apple sauce
- whole grain, low-sugar cold cereals
- olive or canola oil
- canned tomatoes
- dried fruits, no sugar added
- honey
- chicken, beef and vegetable broths and stock.
Additional tips:
- Canned goods with pop-top lids are better than canned goods that require a can opener
- Avoid foods packaged in glass.
- Do not donate foods that are past the expiration date.