As Food Prices Spike, The Jam Man Connects Students to Resources

A typical Wednesday workday finds Basic Needs Coordinator Rene Zepeda on a two-cart shopping spree at Smith's Marketplace as he stocks up on supplies for the food pantry at Salt Lake Community College’s West Valley Center. The carts are full of food staples and easy-to-grab items, many of which are more culturally familiar to the Hispanic population.

West Valley Center’s Student Services Manager Idolina Quijada says that over 30% of the students who attend classes there are of Hispanic heritage. “Having food they know helps our Hispanic students feel like they belong here,” says Quijada. Since they started stocking the pantry with more familiar items, the Hispanic population's pantry usage has increased.

Some 38% of Utah’s technical, college and university students experienced food insecurity in 2021, according to the Food Security Survey of Higher Education Students in Utah report. The report also shows that first-generation students and students of color are more likely to experience food insecurity compared to white students.

At the weekly “Wednesday’s Jam” sessions, Zepeda shares bread and new jams he has made with students. “The weekly Jam session is a way to connect directly with students,” says Zepeda, who sees students then start to share the barriers they face in completing their education. He troubleshoots with the students and connects them to the appropriate resources at SLCC.

Zepeda knows that students who experience food insecurity are more likely to struggle with other basic needs such as health care, utilities and rent or mortgage payments as well as transportation issues. As students come and go between classes to grab a few items to take home from the pantry and taste the jam, Zepeda’s schedule for individual sessions with students fills up too.