Hancock Food Share Program Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

MARCH 25, 2021 -- Allan Hancock College marked the one-year anniversary of its emergency food distribution program on March 25. To date, the program has provided food to hundreds of thousands of community members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are very proud to have changed the odds for our community by providing much-needed food during a very challenging time,” said Hancock Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D. “We are thankful for the staff, student ambassadors and volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure this program continued to provide this critical community service over the past 12 months.”

In March of 2020, Hancock expanded its commitment to fighting food insecurity during the pandemic by providing pre-bagged produce and nonperishable food to any member of the public twice per week at its Santa Maria campus. The food was provided by the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County, and bagged and distributed by a dedicated group of Hancock student ambassadors, staff and college volunteers.

To date, the program has provided food to 79,179 local households and a total of 358,603 individuals as of March 25, 2021.

“As we watched the numbers of people who showed up to get food grow, we knew there was a clear need in our community during the pandemic,” said Hancock Director of Student Activities and Outreach Stephanie Robb, who coordinates and runs the program. “All of our student workers and volunteers agree that it truly feels great to give back and help people with such an important, basic need.”

Hancock continues to provide food through the program every Tuesday and Thursday at 11 a.m. at its Santa Maria campus. The college also distributes food at its Lompoc Valley Center location on Thursdays. Learn more at www.hancockcollege.edu/foodshare.

- AHC -

Photo Caption: Students, staff and volunteers bag food for Hancock’s emergency food distribution program.