b'Stories of HopeMartha (left) and Mikayla (right) are among many college students who receive fresh, healthy food from a GBFB Mobile Market.These Students Can Give Their Families Healthy Food Thanks to YouCollege students cant learn on anAccording to a recent MassachusettsMikayla lives with her mother and empty stomach. Department of Higher Educationolder brother and works seasonally study, 44 percent of communityat a local ice cream shop.Martha and Mikayla are friends andcollege students reported some first-semester students at Northerndegree of food insecurity. To helpThe first time I came to the Mobile Essex Community College (NECC)these students, GBFB runsMarket, I wasnt working, so coming in Lawrence, the site of one of Thefarmers market-style distributionshere I felt like I was providing for my Greater Boston Food Banks Mobileevery month at five communityfamily and helping out. It made me Markets.colleges, where each attendeefeel good, she said.can take home 30 to 35 pounds of Like many other college students,nutritious food, including meats,Mikayla is enrolled in the Human they both struggle to balance schooldairy, fresh fruits and vegetables.Services program at NECC. She said and work while helping put food onshe wants to use her degree to help the table for themselves and theirI dont have that much at the housedefend families and kids and help families. to eat, so this is really helpful and itsthem fix their problems.all easy stuff to cook with, Martha said.Im really thankful for the market I dont have that muchbecause I know it helps a lot of the Martha lives in neighboring Methuenfamilies, the adults who work here at the house to eat, sowith her mother and three youngerand the students, Mikayla said. And brothers. She said the food she getsI feel good when I help others, so I this is really helpful. at the Mobile Market helps feed herhope the people donating feel really - Martha, student at Northernwhole family, including her cousinhappy with what theyre doing.Essex Community College inand her four children who live nearby. Lawrence3'