San Jac Marketplace provides groceries, resources to students
For many San Jacinto College students, the biggest obstacle to finishing a degree is not just a difficult exam. It’s an empty refrigerator.
San Jac is working to change that. All students currently enrolled in classes can access the San Jac Marketplace, a program designed to address food insecurity while connecting students to broader support services across its campuses.
“Food insecurity is one of the most underestimated barriers to higher education,” said Imelda Rodriguez, Marketplace director. “When students are worried about their next meal, staying focused in class, persisting through setbacks, and completing a degree become significantly harder.”
San Jac’s on-campus food pantry was created to help address those challenges. Offered in partnership with the Houston Food Bank, the Marketplace allows students to receive up to 30 pounds of free groceries per week. Available items include food, toiletries, and household necessities, with varying availability.
In addition to the Marketplace, Raven’s Wing, San Jac’s student resource and basic-needs support program, connects students to supportive services such as SNAP benefits, workforce solutions, and housing assistance. Through partnerships with campus and community organizations, Raven’s Wing connects students with resources such as rent assistance, utilities, food, childcare, and transportation.
To access the Marketplace program, students must complete a brief application and enroll in the Food for Change program through the Houston Food Bank. Marketplace staff are available on-site to assist students who have not yet registered. Students also can apply in person at their nearest Raven’s Wing office.
Rodriguez said breaking down the stigma around accessing food assistance is central to her vision for the Marketplace. She wants students to feel respected, not embarrassed, when they walk through the door.
“My goal is for any student to come into the Marketplace and feel like they’re shopping at H-E-B,” Rodriguez said. “We want them to leave with a smile on their face.”
During the regular semester, the Central Campus alone serves between 80 and 100 households per week. To reach even more students, Rodriguez plans to launch pop-up events across all three campuses this summer, where students can learn about the program and sign up on the spot.
Food lockers at Central Campus offer students another way to access groceries discreetly — an option Rodriguez said directly addresses the stigma some students feel about seeking assistance.
Rodriguez said the Marketplace is intended to serve as more than a food pantry.
“This is far more than a food program,” Rodriguez said. “It is a direct investment in retention, persistence, and student achievement. When our campus community meets students where they are, the impact is profound.”
A recent employee food drive by Clean Harbors Environmental Services delivered more than 11,000 pounds of shelf-stable food, including rice, beans, cereal, canned goods, baby food, and bottled water. Volunteers from Clean Harbors, alongside student employees, stocked Marketplace shelves the same day as the donation, preparing the items for immediate distribution to students and their families.
The drive involved donations from roughly 320 employees and contractors. Clean Harbors training manager Carly Weaver said the college was not the company’s original destination, but it ultimately became the right fit.
“We googled places to donate in and near the Deer Park area, and when San Jac popped up, we were kind of surprised because none of us knew that you could donate to a college,” Weaver said. “We really wanted our donation to make a big impact.”
Weaver said the donation reflects a broader commitment to community investment and that the partnership already is expanding. Clean Harbors plans to donate fire-retardant coveralls to San Jac’s automotive department.
“We want to start building relationships within the community, and if we can help out in some kind of way, then we will,” Weaver said.
“Partnerships like this signal to our students that the broader community sees them, believes in them, and is willing to invest in their success,” Rodriguez said. “We thank Clean Harbors, and every employee who participated in the drive, for their generosity and for making our community stronger.”
Learn more about the San Jac Marketplace and how you can donate
About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today,
and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris
County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than
1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving
the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020 and 2026. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution
that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately
45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and
certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer
to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding
bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s. San Jacinto College is
accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
