Colorado Mountain College
IN-14: Food Bank

CMC Student Food Pantry 21-22 School Year to Present

Origin: The food pantry was established at the CMC Steamboat campus in August of 2019 by the Offices of Access, Inclusion, and Disability Services and TRIO Student Support Services. Funding was initially secured from the Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation to provide our campus community with food without barriers.

Objective: To address issues of food insecurity for students attending the Steamboat Campus of CMC. Includes providing healthy, accessible, free food to CMC students who live on and off campus.

Need: Without a well-nourished, healthy population, student learning and development is severely impacted in a negative way. Food security is dependent upon three factors: availability, stability, and accessibility of food supplies. According to the Hope Survey from the fall 2020, 38 percent of students in two-year colleges and 29 percent of students at four-year colleges reported experiencing food insecurity in the previous 30 days. The report also highlighted significant racial and ethnic disparities: 75 percent of Indigenous, 70 percent of Black, and 70 percent of American Indian or Alaska Native students experienced food insecurity, housing insecurity, or homelessness, compared to 54 percent of White students. New refrigerators are further assisting the College to address campus food insecurity, thereby helping CMC to address significant gaps in equity for marginalized students.

Impact on Students: The food pantry helps CMC provide additional nutrient-dense food for students so they can remain attentive and productive on campus. Healthy food options also help prevent student illness and lead to better overall health, higher grades, a drop in fatigue, and other positive impacts.

Goals:

• Provide free and healthy food options in the campus food pantry.


• Provide grocery gift cards for vulnerable students.


• Provide hot meal options (from Sodexo) for students free of charge via the Swipe for Hunger program.


• Create programs with partners (such as the campus' Bear Park Permaculture Center, Sodexo, and Natural Grocers) that can both provide and teach long term sustainable health and food habits and provide nourishing food and supplements.


• Use the refrigerator to allow the pantry to offer perishable food to students in need. 

Amy Phillips, Campus TRIO Program Coordinator and key organizing leader for this service.