Healthy Hornet Drive-Thru Feeds 7,000 Since April
There’s no question about it; the COVID-19 pandemic has financially impacted students and families all across the U.S. with many turning to food pantries to keep their families healthy and fed. Fullerton College students and their families are no exception. After closing the campus in March, the Fullerton College Food Bank left very little time to develop a plan to continue providing food bank services despite the campus closure.
“We knew we had to do something quickly to help our students,” said Student Health Services and Food Bank Director Dana Timmermans. “Through a partnership with Pathways of Hope and Sodexo Food Services, the Healthy Hornet Drive-Thru was born.”
The Healthy Hornet Drive-Thru began in April, and has since, provided weekly groceries and meals more than 7,000 times.
“We see about 350 – 400 students each week,” said Timmermans. In addition to food supplies, including, canned food, fresh fruits, vegetables, bread and milk, the Healthy Hornet Drive-Thru also provides diapers, personal hygiene products, and condoms when requested, Timmermans said.
Students can signup weekly Monday through Wednesday to attend the drive-thru service held on Thursdays from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. in Staff Parking Lots A and 8. Volunteers from Pathways of Hope and Fullerton College arrive each week to help prepare bags of groceries and staff the drive-thru.
“It has been a great pleasure to assist our most vulnerable students on campus as it has been demonstrated every week that they continuously sign up to pick up food and other items that they need. Especially, when we add the diaper option,” said Sonia Duran, director of the EOPS/CARE/FYSI and CalWORKs programs. As of Sept. 17, 345 families that collectively have 786 children, received free diapers at the drive-thru, she added.
The Healthy Hornet Drive-Thru was also recently featured in this article by EdSource. Fullerton College is one of several community colleges in Southern California stepping up to help students in need. To learn about additional food resources and services in the community visit https://vpss.fullcoll.edu/basic-needs/
