‘We’re proactive’: Fresno City College is taking action ahead of looming food aid cuts

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Organizers and officials at Fresno City College say they are taking action as a vulnerable section of their student population could potentially see their food aid being cut.

Fresno City College’s Dr. Kizzy Lopez oversees programs that help students with housing, food, and mental health services. Lopez says that through Fresno City College’s rental pathway program, students can access up to 12 months of rental assistance.

Through the campus’s food assistance program for students, the Ram Pantry, students can access free food, including fresh produce, ingredients, and frozen food.

“More than half of students need some type of assistance with their basic needs,” Lopez said. “There are people that are really struggling and hurting. That includes people who go to college.”

According to Lopez, the Ram Pantry sees up to 1,000 students daily.

“That may be what some pantries see in a week or in a month,” Lopez said.

Anthony Cunha is the Senior Program Specialist of Fresno City College’s Extended Opportunities and Program Services office. He says, despite the various resources available to students, many of them are still concerned and fearful.

“The initial reaction was, you know, fear of the unknown,” Cunha said. “It’s no secret. We know with the current state of the nation that there was going to be some kind of slowdown or stoppage.”

Due to the threat that the cut of food assistance poses to students, Cunha and Lopez say their main priorities leading into November are ensuring that students know how to access the services available to them and keeping those services active.

“So I think when we have those types of conversations, we just meet it with reassurance. We are proactive, not reactive,” Cunha said.

“Some of the ways we’re trying to meet the need for this November is to make sure that the resources that we curate as a campus are shared campus-wide with all the employees, students, and as broadly as we can in the community,” Lopez said.

Cuhna says he’s been able to help bring awareness to students and the community at large through social media posts detailing food services open to the public all week long.

“We wanted to get the resource out to our students on a platform. We know what they’re usually on, which is social media,” Cunha said. “We gathered some information and we put it out there and we were just blown away by the [positive] response.”

But Lopez says that awareness is only half the battle.

“There’s an important call to action this November. Cal Fresh will not be available for a lot of students and a lot of individuals who need it,” Lopez said.

“We need the community to come alongside Fresno City College, providing dry, stable, shelf-stable food because we are going to see an increased need for individuals who not only benefit from our pantry, but are not going to have EBT this November.”

Lopez says no donation is too small and there’s more than one way to donate.

“Fresno City College will be reaching out to local restaurants, organizations, and faith-based organizations to ask for food donations to help meet the need,” Lopez said.

To donate to Fresno City College in one way or another, anyone interested is urged to contact the Basic Needs Center via email at basicneeds@fresnocitycollege.edu.