Extending a Helping Hand to Fellow Students

For Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) student Justin, working at the DISH (Deliver Information, Sustenance, and Health) Food Pantry on campus is more than just a job—it’s an opportunity to give back to the organization and help other students feel more comfortable receiving food assistance.

“When people seem shy, I tell them about how I receive food from the pantry, too. No one should feel ashamed,” Justin says.

Justin began receiving food from the pantry in 2023 and started working there soon after, packing and distributing orders for fellow clients. The food helps Justin make ends meet while he studies electrical engineering. He adds that the pantry community was especially supportive after his mother passed away in 2024.

In Massachusetts, 38 percent of public and community college students experience food insecurity, according to The Greater Boston Food Bank’s 2025 Food Equity & Access Report. When college students have enough to eat, they can focus on their schoolwork and succeed. It is critical that these students—our future health care workers, elected officials, and educators—have the healthy food they need to thrive.

The DISH Food Pantry at BHCC is a student-driven resource committed to being a safe, dignified, and stigma-free environment for students like Justin. About half of the food the pantry receives is provided by The Greater Boston Food Bank. With the resources from DISH, Justin likes to make jollof rice, a typically West African rice dish with chicken and tomatoes. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, soccer, music, and art. He’s looking forward to finishing his engineering coursework and may even pursue acting classes.

“Justin exemplifies leadership and professionalism in his role with DISH and brings a warm and welcoming attitude to the pantry each day. Visitors to DISH light up when they see Justin,” says Chelsea Alexander, DISH Food Pantry Coordinator. “He, along with the rest of our amazing team of student staff, are the heart of DISH and carry out our mission of being a resource created and sustained by the BHCC community, for the BHCC community.”