Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Free Cafe Helps Struggling UCLA Students Eat


From Los Angeles-

An off-campus cafe housed in St. Alban's Episcopal Church near UCLA provides free meals and snacks to students, no questions asked. Most days, the only question for many students, such as UCLA senior David Velazquez, is books or food?

"I will have to buy a book online and I won't have money for food, so that is where you have to make those tough decisions... we have other siblings that my parents can't afford to give me, you know, like thousands of dollars. They are almost making like poverty wages," said the 21-year-old.

"The students at this point are not paying for anything. All the food is donated or fund raised through the support of the St. Albans Church, the United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Church Diocese," said Jeanne Roe Smith.

Smith officially serves as the United Methodist Campus minister at UCLA and helps run 580 Cafe. She says it began after a conversation about the increasing financial stresses on students. It has now been open full time for nearly two years. The cafe is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and receives 30 to 40 students each day. On Mondays and Tuesdays, the cafe serves hot meals working with Meals On Wheels West LA and its provider St. Vincent's Meals On Wheels.

More here-

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/UCLA-Free-Meals-133495093.html

No comments: