Long Beach City College set up the Viking Vault in hopes of making access to free food easy without any stigmas. Mekahlo Medina reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024.
During the holidays, food insecurity is always front and center.
For some students at Long Beach City College, it’s a year round struggle.
“I was a community college student myself, so I know the struggle,” said Justin Mendez, Director of Basic Needs at LBCC. “Our students can’t be in class talking about theories or trying to figure out a calculus problem if they are on an empty stomach.”
The city college created the Viking Vault named after the school mascot with the hopes of making access to free food easy and without any stigmas.
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“You come here, get a snack quick, go out and go to class,” said Mikayla Castro, a student at LBCC who uses the vault to help with food insecurity. “Nobody is shaming you for coming in to get free food.”
Students use their IDs to access food at the pantry whenever they need it.
“We really saw an enormous student need.,” said Dr. Mike Muñoz, LBCC’s superintendent and president.
A recent survey from California Community Colleges indicated that nearly 50% of the 2.1 million students enrolled in the state’s colleges go hungry each year.
“I wasn’t surprised because i was one myself. I dealt with housing and food insecurity while I was raising my daughter in community college,” said Muñoz.
That personal experience and the growing need during the pandemic were the big reasons why the LBCC Board of Trustees started the office of basic needs, making sure students are not only feed but housed and connected with any of the help they might need to not just survive during college, but thrive.
“We run the center 12 months a year so many students can depend on it,” said Muñoz.
