COMMUNITY GARDEN
The SJSU Community Garden, which was started by students and the Student Hunger Committee in 2014 and is funded through student tuition, provides students with the opportunity to learn how to grow and harvest their own organic fruits and vegetables while also teaching them about food and environmental justice, and volunteers from the community, including children, help produce fruits and vegetables for the Spartan Food Pantry, with the added incentive that volunteers can take some produce home, and the garden also collects compost from the Spartan Food Pantry, with over 1,400 pounds of food waste composted as of the beginning of November, according to an interview with the Garden Coordinator, Matthew Spadoni.
FOOD PANTRY
The SJSU Food Pantry is a great on-campus resource that provides enrolled students with an assortment of grocery items, including feminine products, through Second Harvest and donations, allowing them to come once a week and take as many items as they need and donate food and hygiene products, with donations within the correct expiration date always welcomed and feminine hygiene products particularly in need, and it’s important for SJSU students to contribute and keep the Food Pantry stocked to support those who rely on it.
HUNGER AT HOME
Hunger at Home is a critical program that provides meals to those in the community who face food insecurity, and SJSU students can support the program by volunteering or donating to the food pantry, which is located at the exterior entrance of the Student Union building and is open Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM, while the Community Garden offers volunteer opportunities to students of all majors who are interested in learning about sustainable agricultural practices and growing their own food up to three times a week.
