17 Jun Bergen Cares Center: Fighting Hunger on Campus with Help from Center for Food Action
Thanks to a partnership with Center for Food Action, the Bergen Cares Center at Bergen Community College helps ensure that no student, faculty, or staff member has to choose between food and their education. CFA plays a key role in stocking the pantry’s shelves with nutritious items—keeping the space full and accessible to those who need it most.
“An empty stomach makes it hard to focus, let alone learn,” said Annie Echeverry, Director of the Bergen Cares Center. “When we meet students’ basic needs, we’re giving them the chance to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”
Located on the Paramus campus, the Bergen Cares Center provides food, clothing, and other basic resources in a confidential, stigma-free environment. The food pantry includes a wide variety of non-perishable staples, fresh produce, and frozen meals, all available free of charge. The Threads Clothing Closet offers boutique-style access to personal and professional clothing for students. In addition to food and clothing, the center also helps guests with emergency financial needs, transportation and technology access, textbooks, and referrals to social service agencies.
The center serves all members of the Bergen Community College community—including students, faculty, and staff—who may be facing financial hardship. By addressing basic needs, the Bergen Cares Center empowers individuals to stay focused on their academic and professional goals without the added burden of food or housing insecurity.
With campus-wide support and the vital help of community partners like Center for Food Action, the Bergen Cares Center has grown into a trusted hub of support on campus.
