With rising rent prices across the Valley, some residents are having a hard time affording food and that includes college students.
Maricopa County Community Colleges are teaming up with a national organization to connect students with the resources they need.
CEO of Hunger Free America Joel Berg visited Mesa Community College for a roundtable discussion about the issue.
Berg, alongside the League for Innovation in the Community College, announced a partnership focusing on getting the word out about resources available to those who need them.
“A shocking number of college students in America and Arizona are hungry,” said Berg.
He says many of those students may qualify for additional assistance for groceries like the Supplemental Nutrition Program, or SNAP, and not realize it.
“We’re literally going to help pre-screen students to determine if they’re eligible for SNAP. We’re going to work with financial aid offices on campus who know the economics of each family to let the families who are economically eligible know about it,” he said.
Berg says students who need assistance signing up can call the National Hunger Hotline at: 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE for Spanish speakers.