DENVER – On a college campus where finding healthy, affordable food can be tough, Rowdy’s Corner is a unicorn. Rowdy’s is a convenience store-style food pantry for students operated on the Metropolitan State University of Denver campus, and its use has more than doubled since moving to a larger location late last year.
“We're kind of here as a way that you can have someone else in the community that you can lean on,” says sophomore Angelica Marley.
Angelica is studying human nutrition, and since becoming involved with Rowdy’s, she’s worked with local farmers and grocery stores to make certain there are plenty of fresh food options along with the canned good that you would typically find at a food bank.
“There's so much cultural importance that comes into food,” she says, “So just knowing that people care about you and like wants you to be well, I think it kind of speaks for itself.”
Others who work at Rowdy’s say it’s clear that making certain students have access to fresh food and produce is Angelica’s passion, pointing to how she would bring in leftover produce when she was interning at Sprout City Farms.
“She's really helping Rowdy's Corner build a bigger nutritional base for students so that they can come in and learn how to nourish their bodies, not just with food but also with other holistic resources,” adds team lead Brianna Rendon.
- To learn more about Rowdy's Corner, even make a donation, click here
The rising cost of living makes surviving tough for college students, and Angelica says easing some of the stress by ensuring that students don’t have to go hungry while in class or studying is a simple service Rowdy’s Corner can provide.
“When you go and you're like in your classes and commuting and going home and whatever else is happening, you just know that you have somewhere that's going to fuel you.”
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