A food security program that supported 1,964 students at San Mateo County community colleges in 2020-2021 will continue to be funded in the 2021-2022 budget and is expected to serve an equal or greater number of students, according to the San Mateo County College District.
A $1 million allocation from the District’s annual budget will provide $75 per month to each student in need who attends Canada College, College of San Mateo or Skyline College. Students in the program receive a monthly electronic card through an online platform for use at local food retailers convenient to them such as Safeway and Target, according to the District.
In addition, the District has been partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank to coordinate emergency food distribution drives at College of San Mateo and Skyline College. They’ve served more than 97,000 families combined and distributed nearly 5 million pounds of food, valued at nearly $9 million, the District said.
“If a student doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from, there is no way we can expect them to be focused on their classwork,” San Mateo County Community College District Chancellor Michael Claire said. “Supporting students who are facing food insecurity is essential to keeping them in college and on track to achieve their educational goals.”
