Brookdale Community College announced its participation in Feed the Future: Fight Student Hunger, a statewide initiative to address food insecurity at New Jersey’s community colleges.
The campaign launched during National Hunger Action Month, Sept. 22–26, 2025, and is a partnership of New Jersey’s Community Colleges, the Future Alumni Support Team (FAST), and the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC).
Food insecurity remains a serious barrier to higher education. According to a recent Hope Center #RealCollege survey, 39% of New Jersey community college students reported experiencing food insecurity within the past 30 days, echoing national trends. The Feed the Future campaign ensures that students have reliable access to food, allowing them to remain focused on learning and achieving their goals.
The challenges are even greater for students from low-income backgrounds. In FY24, 28.7% of all degree-seeking Brookdale students were Pell Grant recipients, and data from Brookdale’s 2025 Basic Needs Survey shows that Pell students were significantly more likely to underpay rent or utilities, miss class due to transportation barriers or drop courses because of mental health challenges.
“At Brookdale, we believe that no student should have to choose between pursuing an education and having a meal,” said David M. Stout, Ph.D., president of Brookdale Community College.
“Through resources like the Nutrition Hub at the Caroline Huber Holistic Wellness Center located on our campus, we are committed to meeting our students’ basic needs with compassion and care. We are proud to stand with our sister colleges across New Jersey in this campaign to fight hunger and fuel student success.”
Community members who want to support Brookdale students directly can visit the campaign page here. Their support will go directly to programs such as the Nutrition Hub. These funds will ensure students have access to nutritious food, groceries and essential household items, all provided free of charge and with dignity.
