Food, Personal, and Hygienic Care
At Montgomery College, we support the whole student. We believe your health and well-being are important to your success in and out of the classroom. That's why we offer programs and resources that help you stay healthy, build resilience, and focus on your education.
Basic needs include access to healthy food through food pantries, mobile markets, and food lockers; personal care items; help with safe housing options; reliable transportation; technology; and connections to community resources. When these needs are met, it's easier to stay focused on your education and achieve your goals.
Free Food Resources | Personal and Hygienic Care | How to Give
Free Food Resources
If you're having trouble getting enough food, we're here to help. It's our mission to ensure that no student goes hungry. Our mobile markets, campus food pantries, and other food initiatives and programs are here to help, and there are additional community resources to assist students in need.
Mobile Markets provide fresh fruits, vegetables, and other foods to MC students, faculty/staff, and the community at no cost to participants.
Pick up free fresh fruits, vegetables, and other items at the Mobile Market. It's open to Montgomery College students, faculty/staff, and the community.
Check the schedule below for a campus near you, bring a bag, and stop by. No registration or proof of eligibility is required. Food is available while supplies last.
The Mobile Market is a partnership between MC and the Capital Area Food Bank. Interested in volunteering? Complete the volunteer form new window. Questions or need information–contact the appropriate person on each campus: Angela Dawson in Rockville, or Jennifer Hopkins new window in TP/SS.
Mobile Market Dates
Mobile Markets take place on the following Wednesdays:
Location: Outside the Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard Student Affairs and Science Building (SA)/Bus Circle (Inclement weather: BE Circle)
Time: 10 a.m.–noon
First Wednesday of the month.
September 2
October 7
November 4
December 2
TBD
Location: Outside North Garage (NG)
Time: 10 a.m.–noon
Second Wednesday of the month.
September 9
October 14
November 11
December 9
February 10
March 14
April 12
May 9
June 14
Location: Charlene R. Nunley Student Services Center Atrium (ST)
Time: 2–3:30 p.m.
Third Wednesday of the month unless noted by an *.
September 16
October 21
November 18
December 9
February 17
March 24
April 21
May 5
June 16
*Market is the 3rd Wednesday each month
Campus Food Pantries are now open. See the dates and times by opening the accordion.
Each of the three main campuses and the East County Education Center has a pantry stocked with snacks, food, personal hygiene products, and household items. As an MC student, you are welcome to pick up a snack to carry you through your next class and to take a few items home.
Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard Student Affairs and Science Building, SA 204
Monday–Friday: 9–11:30 a.m. and 12:30–3:30 p.m.
Closed during Mobile Markets on all campuses.
Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong Student Services Center, SV 001
Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Closed during Mobile Markets on all campuses.
Charlene R. Nunley Student Services Center, ST 217
Monday–Thursday: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Closed during Mobile Markets on all campuses.
Raptor Central, ECEC 135
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
Open during Mobile Markets at GT/RV/TPSS campuses.
Our food pantries are always looking for snack foods and nonperishable items students can take home. If you’d like to help, consider donating items from the list below.
Canned and Jarred Goods
- Beans, vegetables, fruits, soups, spaghetti sauce, meats, tuna fish, salmon
- Vienna sausages, apple sauce, fruit cocktail
- Cooking oil, shortening sticks
- Condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, spices
- Peanut butter, jams, jellies
Dried Goods
- Rice, beans, peas, soup mixes, spaghetti, pasta, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs
- Instant scalloped and mashed potatoes
- Flour, sugar, cake mix, muffin mix, pancakes mix, dried milk, boxes of cereal
Baby Goods
- Baby formula and baby food
- Bottled and canned beverages
Paper Goods
- Plates, cups, napkins
- Paper towels, tissues
- Toilet paper
Personal Hygiene Products
- Toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss
- Shampoo (hotel samples are perfect)
- Sanitary products
- Soaps, deodorants
Microwaveable, Ready to Eat Food:
- Individually packaged dinners, meat or vegetarian individual meal servings
- Macaroni and cheese mixes, soups, oatmeal packets
- Breads, rolls, bagels (not more than a day old), potatoes
Snacks
- Dried fruits, raisins, nuts in small packages
- Fruit snacks, Pop Tarts, fruit cups, pudding
- Crackers (small packets of cheese or peanut butter), granola bars, pretzels
- Bags of assorted chips, pretzels, cheese balls, popcorn, etc.
Fresh Fruits
- Apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, pears, peaches, plums
Beverages
- Instant coffee, teabags, sugar, creamer, individual packets of hot chocolate
- Juice boxes
- Bottled water, canned beverages, juices
Can Openers
Grocery and hygiene assistance for MC students.
The Montgomery College Food Locker Program offers grocery and hygiene assistance to MC students. Whether you are experiencing food insecurity or using the Food Locker to save money for something else, we’re here as a resource for all students.
All students, credit and noncredit, who are registered for the current semester are able to participate. No financial information is required to determine eligibility.
You will need to complete an information/waiver form. This form requires your MC ID number and some basic demographic information. No financial information is asked. However, an acknowledgement is required for the waiver.
Once you have been determined eligible, you will receive a Food Locker ID number and a window of time to pick up your items.
Food items vary week to week but primarily consist of soup, cereal, pasta and many other nonperishables. There is quite a variety of food represented in limited quantities, such as organic and ethnic foods.
Hygiene products are also available on a limited basis.
Feel free to drop off items to the Student Wellness Center in SV 316 on the Rockville Campus or ST 217 on the TP/SS campus.
Interested in donating without visiting campus? See each campuses Amazon wish lists to donate and have items sent directly to the Food Lockers.
To sign up for Food Locker, please register here new window.
Registration is Limited
For campus-specific questions, see the contact information in the purple Contact Us
box.
More Food Resources
Looking for more help? Explore additional food resources and support available to you.
Personal and Hygienic Care
Everyone deserves access to essential personal care items. MC offers free hygiene products and other basic necessities to help support your health, well-being, and success. Items include:
- Hygiene products (soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products)
- Paper goods
- Personal care and wellness items
- Free Flow Program new window for free menstrual products
- Free interactive workshops for male students on menstrual health, reducing stigma, and supporting peers experiencing period poverty, in partnership with the Patesi Foundation. Open to all MC students.
Resources are available on each campus to help students with their basic needs.
How to Give
Help students access essential items by making a gift through the Montgomery College Foundation or have items donated directly by purchasing them from our Amazon Wish Lists for our specific campuses: Germantown new window, Rockville new window or Takoma Park/Silver Spring new window.