Every Tuesday, a long line of Delta College students forms in front of the Student Food Pantry to collect groceries.
This isn’t surprising, considering more than half of California community college students have stated they experience food insecurity in some way, according to the #RealCollege survey.
According to the survey from 2019, the first one of its kind, 41 percent of students say they are forced to skip or cut down their food intake to make ends meet. This could potentially have an impact on the academic success of a student, as the lack of proper nutrition could lead to difficulty performing at their best.
Growing up in a Middle Eastern household, I grew up in a culture of large meals surrounded by our family members. Being originally from Yemen, which is known as the poorest country in the Middle East, I always thought the United States was above that level of food insecurity.
It never occurred to me that people went to sleep hungry because they didn’t have food in the United States.
I was further shocked to find out that the U.S. has vetoed United Nations resolutions calling food a “human right.” Notably, the vote was held as a reaction to famine in multiple countries, including Yemen.
“This resolution distracts attention from important and relevant challenges that contribute significantly to the recurring state of regional food insecurity, including endemic conflict, and the lack of strong governing institutions.” The U.S.A said to justify its vote in its mission to International Organizations in Geneva.
As the U.N. Human Rights Office of High Commissioner noted, it is ultimately the responsibility of the states to comply.
It wasn’t until I became friends with a fellow middle school student, who told me she wasn’t looking forward to the break because she wouldn’t have anything to eat, that I realized how bad the situation was.
On campus, there are students who depend on the student food pantry for their food sustenance. Since the Delta food pantry opened in 2019, many students have taken advantage of the service.
Ruan Passos, an international student from Brazil, says that it’s an amazing resource that isn’t afforded to college students in his home country.
Alyssa Saurez, who works at the pantry, said that she has been accessing the pantry since 2020 as a full-time student and single mom of four.
“It’s vital, it’s absolutely vital,” she said. “We have a huge homeless population. We have undocumented students, homeless students, international students and single parents like me.”
She also stated that 30 percent of the food that comes in comes damaged. This forces them to buy from the Second Harvest, which is scarcer since the food is closer to the expiration dates.
Alex Breitler, Director of Marketing and Communications at Delta, said last fall semester the pantry served about 1,600 students, 900 of which were first-timers.
In total, there were approximately 8,000 students who accessed the food pantry during the fall semester, which resulted in about 38,000 pounds of food being distributed.
The food pantry on campus operates as a 501c(3) under the Delta College Foundation, meaning all donations to the program are tax deductible. A fundraising effort last fall led to approximately $6,600 and 600 canned goods being directed for the food pantry.
Ultimately, food is a necessary component to sustain life and therefore should be a right that is afforded to every human being. After all, how would other human rights, like education and health, be met if someone does not have adequate access to food?
