In March of 2019 HCC opened its food pantry to help support students with food instability. Since its opening over 950 students have used it. Earlier this month the college campus received a NACAS care grant to help improve the food pantry. 

     The care grant came in the amount of $7,850, all this money will be put towards the food pantry for its students. Specifically, the money is to aid in building a larger storage space with more shelving, a refrigerator and freezer, and fund the installation of a door to the area; in turn improving its accessibility to students. 

     Not only will the service be improved upon, but its contents will as well. students will have access to more nutritious fresh foods, such as meat and produce, in addition to the nonperishable items that are currently available through the pantry. 

     HCC came have received this money due to Dr. Griselda Flores and Laura Burke of the Office of Student Life worked with Coordinator for Grants Brandy Naughton to secure the grant. 

     According to the HCC website through reading out to Laura Burke you may be able to receive a $25 ShopRite gift card to help pay for your groceries. 

     These gift cards are in limited supply but are given out every semester. 

     The NACAS foundation is a nonprofit, charitable corporation formed to support and promote aid services. They donate grants and help with innovation to improve the quality of student life on and off campus. 

     According to the NACAS students going off to college sometimes experience a lack of fulfillment of basic need such as food, homelessness and poor mental health. It is their mission through the campus care grant to help improve services to help students in those areas. 

     The Campus Care grant up to $25,000 is awarded to schools who apply to receive a grant to programs that focus on the successes of students. 

     According to Feeding America over 35 million Americans had experience a struggle with food insecurity in 2019. In addition, they’ve estimated that more than 50 million people have experience food insecurity in 2020 due to the effects of the coronavirus. 

     Food insecurity defined by Feeding America is the “federal measure of a household’s ability to provide enough food for every person in the household to have a healthy life.” Through food insecurity the government can measure the risk of hunger. 

     According Carla Harward an english and yearbook teacher here at North Harford high school we have a similar student aid program at the school. It is called he care closet 

     She explains that “The care closet opened when school shut down in March of last year.” She added “The care closet was inspired by the wear and share event at earth day, so The care closet is a place where people can donate items to people in need.  Students can such items as clothing and toiletries.  Students donate all of the items to the closet.”