Cochise College food pantry helps student avoid food insecurity with on campus locations for free food pickup

DOUGLAS, Ariz. (KGUN) — “I probably would go some days without eating,” Victor Marrujo said.

Marrujo is an international student from Mexico that attends Cochise College's Douglas Campus. During the summer, he crosses the border every day to come to campus because the dorms are closed. He said if it wasn't for the student food pantry on campus, he wouldn't be able to eat the recommended three or even two meals a day.

“I’ll come and grab stuff and then I’ll use those stuff to make my lunch for every day,” Marrujo said.

The idea for the pantry came from a sociology professor who discovered a lot of the students in their class had food insecurities. The college began to have pop-up food pantries to help students, which grew to having a dedicated space for students to come as they needed. Cochise Cupboard feeds students from Sierra Vista, Benson, Willcox and Douglas.

Loren Gladwill, a student wellness manager for Cochise College, said 300 students utilize the pantry each month and are permitted to grab 10 items a week.

“Food insecurity is one of the number one reasons that students leave school," Goodwill said. "And so what we’re trying to do with this food pantry is really keep the students so that they can continue their education while taking care of themselves.”

Cochise Cupboard is currently outgrowing its space on the Douglas campus and needs some new appliances to better support the needs of the students. The pantry was awarded a $30,000 grant from the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. Gladwill said the money will be used to buy a new commercial refrigerator so they can offer fresh vegetables and meat to the students.

“The $30,000 that they are giving us for this grant is part of helping us increase our services," Gladwill said. "It’s meant to help us do what we’re doing now, but on more increased bases so we can read a wider audience of students.”

The pantry partners with local businesses and hosts food drives to keep the shelves stocked. Gladwill said they plan to use part of the grant money to purchase more food for the pantry.

“We run purely on grants like the one we’re receiving and also donations," Gladwill said. "We don’t use any institutional funds. We’re trying to do this from really the goodness of people’s hearts. And it’s worked so far.”