DOUGLAS, Ariz. (KGUN) — “You’re probably going to go without food for a few days,” said Victor Marho.

Marujo is an international student from Mexico who attends the Douglas campus of Cochise University. Because the dormitory is closed during the summer, she crosses the border every day to come to the campus. He said he wouldn’t have been able to eat the recommended three or even two meals a day without an on-campus pantry for students.

“I come and buy things and then use it to make my daily lunch,” Marjo said.

The Pantry idea came from a sociology professor who noticed that many students in her class were food insecure. The college began setting up pop-up food pantries to help students and grew to have a dedicated space for students to come in as needed. Cochise Cupboard provides meals to students in Sierra Vista, Benson, Wilcox and Douglas.

Lauren Gladwill, student wellness manager at Cochise University, said 300 students use the pantry each month and are allowed 10 items per week.

“Food insecurity is one of the biggest reasons students leave school. It’s about being able to do it,” Goodwill said. ”

Now Cochise Cupboard has outgrown its space on the Douglas campus and needs some new equipment to better support student needs. For this pantry, he received a $30,000 grant from the Southern Arizona Community Food Bank. Gladwill said the money will be used to buy new commercial refrigerators to provide students with fresh vegetables and meat.

“The $30,000 they gave us as part of this grant is part of helping us increase our services. But it’s intended to further increase the base so that more viewers can read it,” Gladwill said. of students. ”

The Pantry partners with local businesses and hosts food drives to keep their shelves stocked. Gladwill said he plans to use part of the grant to buy food for the pantry.

“We operate purely on subsidies and donations like the ones we receive,” Gladwill said. We are trying to make this happen out of the heartfelt goodwill of the people. And it’s working so far. ”