HCC celebrates new student ‘Eagle Market’ food pantry in partnership with Houston Food Bank

May 8, 2023

Employees help prepare the new Eagle Market food pantry.

Supporting students’ holistic needs and helping to quell food insecurity, Houston Community College (HCC) will hold a ribbon cutting for the HCC Southeast Eagle Market on May 10.

The event will take place at 2 p.m. on the Southeast College Eastside Campus in the Student Life Building.

Since 2019, HCC’s Eagle Markets have operated as a joint venture of HCC and the Houston Food Bank, the nation’s largest food bank. HCC has been providing food to its students through the food bank’s Community Health Market Trailers on a regular basis. The easing of the COVID-19 pandemic and the opening of its campuses makes transitioning to in-house markets a better option.

“We are currently in the process of converting seven of our Mobile Markets  to brick-and-mortar markets,” said Dr. Mahnaz Kolaini, HCC director of Counseling and Ability Services. “The markets are designed to mirror the experience of shopping at a grocery store.”

The food pantry has both perishable and non-perishable food items. During the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, the pantry served more than 3,000 students, helping to quell food insecurity among those in need. According to recent statistics, as many as four in 10 college students in Texas face food insecurity issues. The situation is made all the worse by rising inflation and increased rent and energy prices.

“It’s a privilege to be able to help provide stability in the day-to-day lives of our students and our community,” said Dr. Frances Villagran-Glover, HCC Southeast College president. “I am thankful for this collaboration with our community partners who are helping HCC to combat food insecurity and improve the well-being of our students.”