By Brenda De La Cruz
East Los Angeles College students affected by the pandemic are being aided with food by the Associated Student Union’s food pantry. The year 2020 brought many new norms to students at ELAC. Many who were employed prior to the pandemic possibly lost their job, or had their hours cut. Those who kept their income, did so with the risk of contracting COVID-19.
With the change in income also came a fear of uncertainty. Where will students get their next meal from? Will students need to choose between paying their rent or buying groceries? Luckily for them, ELAC’s ASU offered to assist qualifying students through the campus food pantry.
In a post on their Instagram account, ELAC’s ASU informed students that if they felt they had begun struggling with food insecurities, they were encouraged and welcomed to fill out and submit an application to try and secure food during the pandemic.
In order to qualify, students must be currently enrolled at ELAC, and self-identify as a students who is experiencing food insecurity. Being a paid ASU member is not required. The application can be found at https://tinyurl.com/foodinsecurityASU.
Once there, students must input their information such as name, student ID number and more.
Someone will contact the student for a one-on-one meeting in order to assist with food and possibly additional community and school resources if applicable.
The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators says that approximately 48% of two-year college students experienced food insecurity, and 41% of four-year students identified as food insecure.
Up to 10% of college students have gone an entire day without eating, according to NASPA. This data was recorded prior to the pandemic we are all facing today, leading readers to assume it has only gotten and will continue to get worse.
Along with the food pantry link, ELAC’s ASU Instagram account also consistently posts information about other useful resources for students, including locations that offer showers and Thanksgiving meals for those in need during the holidays.