What is the Food Pantry?
The food pantry provides food assistance and referrals to students experiencing food insecurity; any student who is currently enrolled at MiraCosta College qualifies for the support. The support consists of snacks and entrée items. Typical food pantry items consist of canned goods (pasta, vegetables, beans, tuna, soups, and fruit), granola bars, crackers, and snack-like items. The program provides immediate, short-term relief and offers referrals for CalFresh and additional community resources for ongoing assistance with food insecurity. For more detailed information about the Food Pantry hours and location, read below under "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)."
Food Pantry services are available through the following Student Services offices. For additional questions, please contact care@miracosta.edu or 760.757.2121 x2200.
Oceanside Campus
Building 3300, Room 3306 (Service Learning and Volunteer Center)760.757.2121 x2200 Food Pantry Hours
Monday-Thursday 8am-4:30pm
Friday 8am-12pm & 1pm-3pm
Community Learning Center
Building 300, Room 331
760.795.8710 x8867
Food Pantry Hours
Monday-Thursday 9am-6:30pm
Friday 9am-12pm
San Elijo Campus
Building 900 (Student Gathering Space), Room 934
760.944.4449 x7475
Food Pantry Hours
Monday-Thursday 9am-4:30pm
Friday 9am-12pm
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do we Serve?
At the MiraCosta College Food Pantry, we aim to serve all enrolled credit and noncredit students, including those that attend early morning classes and/or evening classes. We do this by providing on-campus access to food resources at all three of our campuses. In addition to our efforts to support students with quick snacks, sack lunches, fresh fruit and/or entrées (as supplies allow), we host a on-campus CARE Free Food & Resource Market at our MiraCosta College - Oceanside Campus (1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside, 92056) and Community Learning Center (1831 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA, 92058) twice a month.
How to Access the Food Pantry
Students can access the Food Pantry at various times throughout the day, depending on the campus. Upon entering the Food Pantry or accessing food from the staff at the Student Life & Leadership Front Desk, students will check-in using their Student ID Number and by answering a couple questions on a Google Form which is preloaded on the Food Pantry iPads (at the entrance or provided to a student by a staff member). Please see the above list of hours to access.
Why is some food in the Food Pantry expired?
Although the date listed on an item you have received from the Food Pantry may be past the printed “sell-by” or “best if used by (or before)” date, this is for reference when buying from a store rather than a date where consumption is no longer safe. Some food items in our pantry come donated from our partners such as San Diego Food Bank and Feeding San Diego who receive their supply directly from grocery stores and other vendors. For more information on food extended shelf life for expired food which can still be safe to distribute and consume, please see the information on how to Manage Expired Items which lists various food types in the categories of: aseptically-packaged products, baby food, bread products, canned foods, condiments, sauces, syrups, dairy products, and dry goods. Additionally, you can learn more about extended shelf life terminology on the MiraCosta CARE Instagram Story under the "Education" highlight.
What is the History of the Food Pantry
The Food Pantry was started by a service learning student/former Student Advocate, Cathy Robin. While she was enrolled in a Health/Nutrition class, she heard and noticed that students were hungry on campus. As an advocate she quickly turned her concern into action. She met with Dr. Carol Wilkinson, Service Learning Coordinator at the time, to discuss the issue and to find a solution. She remembered that at one of the Service Learning conferences they had attended, there was a college that had a food pantry. A committee was formed with various MiraCosta student services: Health, EOPS, Student Activities, and the Nutrition instructor. With the support of Dr. Robertson (Vice President of Student Services at the time) and various administrators, the MiraCosta Board of Trustees approved to have our very own MiraCosta Food Pantry. Cathy Robin passed away on May 2016 but her spirit of advocacy and work to eradicate food insufficiency on our campus continues.
This pantry has been sustained through the generous contributions of faculty, staff, students, and community members. In the spirit of service, classes have picked food insufficiency as topics of interest and as part of their service learning. If you're intrested in volunteering your time or making a contribution, email us at care@miracosta.edu.
