The Anita & Stan Maag Food & Nutrition Center is entering its fifth year of addressing food insecurity through food distributions on campus.

SAN MARCOS — The Anita & Stan Maag Food & Nutrition Center at Palomar College has been named “Agency of the Month” for October 2022 by the North County Food Bank, a chapter of the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.

“It’s an honor to be part of the work to address food insecurity in North County. This recognition by the Food Bank validates that we are truly making a difference,” said Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey, Palomar’s Superintendent/President. “Education is the most significant pathway to a life free of poverty and food insecurity, and our students are deserving of every opportunity.”

The Food & Nutrition Center is operated by Palomar’s Office of Student Life & Leadership, whose Director, Sherry Titus, said that having access to nutritional support on campus helps hundreds of students every year.

“Our team here, led by Supervisor Pippa Pierce, has developed Palomar’s own food distribution center into an absolutely essential, stigma-free resource on campus,” said Titus. “We’re grateful for the continued support of our campus community, as well as our partners like the North County Food Bank, which does such good work to make sure access to food isn’t a barrier to student success on campus.”

The recognition comes as the Food Bank prepares to launch its annual “Pack the Pantry” food drive and fundraiser. This year, officials say, overhead costs are up across the board for food pantries—including a 20 to 30 percent increase in the price of wholesale food.

“We’re thrilled with our partnership with the college,” said Chris Carter, Vice President of Development & Communications. “So many college students are facing food insecurity, and if you’re food-insecure as a student, you’re more likely to miss class, suffer academically and, in the worst case, drop out altogether—which perpetuates the cycle of poverty in our communities.”