After the loss of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps or EBT, Highline College Foundation, in partnership with the Community Pantry, are stepping up to help students with an additional $100,000 in funding. These efforts work towards keeping the campus hunger free.

With news of the federal pause starting Nov. 1, the foundation felt it could jump into action. Josh Gerstman, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, said “[The] Highline College Foundation strives to match the determination and resilience of Highline students working to achieve their educational goals.” 

When it came to news of the loss of SNAP affecting the nearly 200,000 king country residents, the foundation board made measures of assistance during their finalization of the fiscal year 2026 budget. Thanks to a generous anonymous donation to the foundation, the staff was able to strengthen existing Highline support lines. 

“The Highline College Foundation staff is not large, so we rely on working with partners across campus on effectively putting funds to work,” Gerstman continues. One recipient of this funding is the Highline Community Pantry.

“We’re really grateful to the Foundation for providing that direct financial assistance to the shared goal of food access on campus,” Matthew Svilar, Community Pantry Program Manager, expressed. Svilar explained that the emergence of this funding has allowed for the weekly distribution of local high quality produce boxes, with a tentative schedule of Fridays.

Currently, the pantry accepts food donations on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at their home in Building 16, room 180. Few items are currently in higher demand such as fruits and vegetables, non-expired dairy products, shelf-stable meals, and culturally relevant staples like onions and potatoes. While monetary donations are always welcome, presently the pantry is encouraging all to donate funds directly to the Des Moines Area Food Bank, or alternatively the Emergency Feeding Program of Renton.

The Foundations’ subsidy has seen its roots developed in several different ways. As announced by Highline’s Joint Information Center (JIC) in an email to the student body last Thursday, the Benefits Hub is looking to institute food lockers on campus, allowing students to access non-perishable food on the weekends and non-operating pantry hours. 

Highline’s own Jumping Jambalaya is providing free family dinners every Tuesday in November in Building 8. Des Moines Food Pantry is expanding to full service every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. With an additional bread and produce service every weekday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Silvar highlights the mentality behind these changes, “I think our goal right now is to just make as many consistent food offerings as we can … [with this funding] we will try to have something almost each day of the week.” 

This push for support extends beyond students’ own initiatives. Campus faculty and staff have been encouraged to keep in mind the effects food loss can have on learning, either by extending deadlines, or reevaluating attendance policies, practices run deep. Along with this, information on how to arrange for classes to visit the community pantry, or have the pantry provide snacks for a class are also being made available. 

While federal agencies may not have a clear sight ahead for these programs, Highline is a community that takes care of its own. Basic needs resources are accessible for those in need. If you have any specific questions regarding support available to you at this time, reach out to these services for help.