by Stacy Falk

The holidays. Happy, stressful, joyous, depressing. No matter what the season brings there is one thing most people can agree on: sharing.

From holiday-themed food drives and community dinners, the gift of sharing food is an act of kindness that tends to be more prevalent this time of year. But for Fort Lewis College students David Wells and Lacey Begay, both 22, giving food to those who can’t afford it is something that should happen all year long.

“The morning rush always brings a long line out the door,” said Begay, a sociology major and co-manager at FLC’s student food bank, aka the Grub Hub. “And it’s definitely grown.”

The Grub Hub, which is sponsored by the sociology club, operates every Thursday during the fall and winter trimesters from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Hub offers free healthy food for students whose wallets are crunched by high costs of living and tuition. College staff and faculty are also welcome to get in on the action.

“We’ve distributed over 1,600 pounds of food this year,” said Wells, who co-manages with Begay, “Most of which is to students who live off-campus.”

The food pantry scene on college campuses has become a nationwide trend over the last few years. Like FLC, most pantries rely on donations but the increased demand has allowed bigger campuses, which are distributing up to 50,000 pounds of food annually, to receive grants for food purchases and supplies.

According to Wells, the club started applying for grants this year but as of now has not received any funding. The majority of food is donated by Manna Soup Kitchen, including a portion of their Durango Natural Foods (DNF) donation, says Begay.

The Hub, now in its third year of operation in the basement of Reed Library, boosts some excitement back into the bare, white and oddly lit building’s underground. Bright murals and smiling faces greet those entering the approximately 20-foot-by-12-foot room.

“We really wanted to make a space that would pop and make students want to check it out,” said Begay.

The artwork, created by some of the same artists’ who work has appeared on the Everyday gas station, gives the tiny space a much nicer feel, says Wells. On the east wall, where students must weigh their food before leaving, the large fruit tree with the face of an old man in the trunk keeps watch. An extravagant strawberry by the door makes you wonder if there’s any fresh fruit left in the buzzing 1950s refrigerator.

“People generally know they should just take what they need,” said Begay. “We keep an eye out for anyone taking too much.”

Kip Mutai, 26, says he visits the Hub every week and is satisfied with what he finds. While loading up a couple pounds of fresh broccoli, Mutai, originally from Kenya, now calls Durango home. “The carrots from here are some of the best I’ve ever had,” he said.

It’s obvious that not everyone can afford to shop at DNF, says Joshua Jackson, general manager for the store. Which is part of why all the left over and unsellable fruits, veggies and dairy products are given directly to nonprofits such as Manna and then on to the Hub.

For consumers who don’t exactly need free food to get by but live on a tight budget, Jackson says, it’s all about accessibility. In order the tackle this problem, Jackson will be attending the annual food retreat in February hosted by FLC’s Environmental Center.

“Starting a regular dialogue between local farmers and distributors will able us to build local infrastructure around who is going to grow what,” said Jackson. “This way there won’t be an overabundance of one product and will make selling easier for the farmer.”

Putting in the extra time and energy to expand the accessibility of stores such as DNF will help bring the costs of these foods down, says Jackson, who also just donated $400 to Manna in addition to the food.

Back at the Hub, students are also devising creative ways to get those students who aren’t relying on ramen and peanut butter to survive to donate. This year marked the second annual “Food for Fines” food drive. The co-sponsored endeavor with Reed Library allowed students to donate food in exchange for library fees for late or lost books.

“It’s all about students helping students,” said Begay. “Because sometimes it’s hard to connect with the community.”

Begay, who also volunteers at the Soup Kitchen, says that her experiences in providing food for the hungry have not only shaped an understanding for her career choices but given her a better understanding of the reality of hunger.

“Food insecurity in Durango and La Plata County is higher then I imagined,” said Begay. “And surprisingly higher on campus.”

Hunger is still the world’s No. 1 health risk, killing more people every year then AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, according to statistics compiled by the World Food Programme (WFP).

And although the WFP reports that 98 percent of the 870 million people who do not have enough to eat live in developing countries, that still leaves millions of empty stomachs even in working households.

According to Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, regardless of where you live, one out of six Americans don’t know where they will find their next meal.

Which is why Darcy Cole, kitchen manager and volunteer coordinator at Manna, takes her job very seriously and works hard to take their motto, “in a community of plenty, no one should go hungry,” to heart. “We will feed anybody.”

Cole estimates that about 60 percent of the people served at Manna are homeless. The rest are people who have a steady job but are trying to save money or want a different social experience, she says.

And again Durango proves that sharing happens not just during the holidays but all the time. Just about every corporate and local grocery store in the area donates food. “Ninety-five percent of the food we serve is from different stores around town,” said Cole. “That includes organics from Vitamin Cottage and meats from Sunnyside.”

Every Thursday morning, City Market and Albertsons make large contributions to Manna. About 150 to 200 pounds of whatever is left over, mostly milk, eggs and potatoes, goes straight to the Grub Hub, says Cole.

“I am so glad to see that we don’t waste food,” said Tyler Rank, customer relations manager at South City Market.

Rank, 25, said that when he worked in the bakery at City Market, it donated $100 to $200 worth of various breads, cakes and pastries on a daily basis. The same goes for produce.

And since the holidays bring out the sharing mood, Rank says that City Market’s current promotion to help spread the love has been well received and extremely successful.

“Bringing hope to the table” boxes are purchased at the checkout for $5 and then dropped in a collection bin on the way out where each box will go toward feeding 35 meals to a family in need.

If you don’t buy a box, the ringing of the Salvation Army bell or the overflowing Durango Food Bank barrel is there to give you a second chance and remind you that even if you can’t share all year, now’s the perfect time.

For more information on the Grub Hub, details about service, to volunteer or donate, call 970-247-7626 or visit Reed Library, Room 16.