College opens pantry for struggling students

NORWALK – Cerritos College held a ribbon cutting for it’s new “Falcon’s Nest,” a Trader-Joes style pantry that offers food, clothing, hygiene products, and emergency aid and resources to in-need students.

At the Falcon’s Nest, students will have access to fresh and sustainable foods, lightly-used clothing, and other provisions for day-to-day life.

James Cordey Birkey, President of the Cerritos College Board of Trustees, said that Falcon’s Nest “removes barriers for students.”

“In 2019, we established a goal to extend our campus efforts to address student housing and security and hunger, among other critical areas,” said Birkey. “As a local poet once said, ‘If you can’t eat, you can’t think, if you can’t think, you can’t learn, and if you can’t learn, you can’t earn.’”

“Today, we officially open this facility with an enormous sense of pride and purpose. With the incredible resources offered through the Falcon’s nest, we can help address the lack of basic necessities among college students, which remains a persistent local state and national issue.”

Cerritos College President Jose Fierro said that the college hoped to ensure that students “do not have to wonder where that next meal is coming from.”

Pamela Sepulveda, Case Manager of Basic Needs at Cerritos College. Photo by Alex Dominguez

“Just think about it: How could you learn math, algebra, calculus, science, English on an empty stomach? How could I focus on my homework when I don’t know where my next meal comes from,” said Fierro. “…As I mentioned earlier, every single time we meet our students’ basic needs, our students start performing at their best abilities in the classroom. That alone is worth the effort.”

Also important to the pantry is the ability of students to access its resources in a way with dignity and without embarrassment.

“The core philosophy of the Falcon’s Nest is equity,” said Pamela Sepulveda, Case Manager of Basic Needs. “It’s been the primary focus of our development strategy to ensure that students have access to the right combination of resources to be successful in school without judgment.”

“The Falcon’s nest is a place where we hope every student who walks through the doors feels welcomed and respected in our space.”

Sepulveda said that the Falcons Nest is currently serving 250 students, some of which are already feeling the impact of the pantry.

Jacqueline Benitez, a 20-year-old sophomore at Cerritos, was considering dropping out of school while facing homelessness and the loss of her grandmother when the Falcon’s Nest program helped her turn things around.

“Having these services available to me is everything; it allows me to continue working towards my career goals and just exist as a person. Being able to have food and a roof over my head is everything to just exist and move forward in my life, and it really does just mean everything to me.”