The Renegade food pantry has increased its distribution to eight times a semester.

The food pantry provides food for Bakersfield College students. Last semester the pantry had to cut the days they distributed down from eight times in a semester to four times that semester.

Student Government Association council member Nick Acosta explained the reason for the cut.

“There was some issues that happened with where we got our money for the pantry from,” said Acosta. “Because of that, we had to fund it out of a different account which has less money.”

The pantry is able to distribute more now thanks to donations from the BC community.  “Between the SGA donating money and the faculty, administrators, and staff donating more money, we’ve been able to budget it for the whole semester,” said Acosta. “Basically, I’ve put it down like a floor plan on how to make sure that each semester you have enough money coming out of all of these accounts to cover for a whole semester.”

In addition to faculty and staff donations, the SGA has also planned events in March that would raise awareness on issues affecting students in need.

“We’re going to have a speaker,” he said. “She’ll be speaking on poverty and hunger and issues like that, and the week before she comes, we planned a fundraising banquet for the pantry.

“A lot of students need this. There is a homeless population of BC students.

“So I think it’s great that we have a program that can help them and help other students that are struggling.”

If you would like to receive food from the pantry’s distribution you need to sign up the week of distribution in CC-4.