Leilany Huerta-Hernandez remembers her throbbing headaches in the late afternoons because she couldn’t afford to purchase food as a West Valley College student. Her hunger was ever-present, but she felt ashamed to ask for help.
Students like Huerta-Hernandez will soon be able to cross this one worry off their list. West Valley-Mission Community College District is rolling out a free universal meal program slated to start in the fall. The program will serve in-person students one meal per school day. Students who need more support can receive more than one meal.
The program, which officials said is the first of its kind in a community college nationwide, is part of a districtwide initiative to lower barriers to higher education for its more than 17,000 students. About 21% of the thousands of students attending West Valley College face food insecurity, according to the 2023 Real College California Survey.
Huerta-Hernandez, a sociology student, is no longer facing food insecurity after finding work and support. She plans to transfer to a four-year university next fall, missing the launch of the free meal program. Still, she pointed out having access to such a program when she struggled would’ve been invaluable.
“It would have meant security and knowing that I was gonna be OK, knowing that even if it’s that one meal that I’m getting, I’m getting it,” Huerta-Hernandez told San José Spotlight.
The community college district will pay $2.5 million annually to run the program for the foreseeable future. Funds will come from discretionary property tax revenue. Thomas Cuisine will provide the meals and teach cooking classes. The district is still working out logistics, like what meals will be provided and when they’ll be available.
Chancellor Bradley Davis said battling food insecurity became his focus when two student soccer players asked if he could spot them money for food at the cafeteria because they couldn’t afford it. He noticed a gap in the education system because students receive free meals from elementary through high school, but support ends in college.
“We felt that just because our community college students had finished high school, they shouldn’t be cut off from the very important component of their holistic development: good nutrition,” Davis told San José Spotlight.
The community college district has launched other equitable initiatives over the past couple of years, including free tuition for all students in its service area beginning this spring semester. It also offers a food pantry where students can get fresh produce.
Kelly Neary, a biology professor at Mission College for 19 years, said she’s glad the district is tackling hunger. She’s witnessed the problem firsthand and keeps free food in the classroom for her students. She wants the program to go from Monday through Saturday because students attending Friday and Saturday classes are often forgotten. She also wants food offered to be inclusive of all cultures, including halal and kosher options.
“Providing an opportunity for everyone to get a free meal, it just sort of levels the playing field,” Neary told San José Spotlight. “Anything we can do to help reduce our students’ stress and create a more welcoming learning environment will only improve their success in the classroom.”
Huerta-Hernandez said even though she’s moving on from West Valley College, the program will change the lives of her friends who skip eating for days because they have to choose between essentials such as housing and a meal.
“This is why it needs to happen,” she said. “Even if it wasn’t in my time, the amount of impact it’s going to have… for my friends that are not gonna go hungry, (it’s amazing).”
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X.
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