November 26, 2025

by Lauren Ferguson

Food insecurity is not just about having access to enough food, but having access to healthy food.

That is what Dylan Heffernan, assistant director of Ramapo College of New Jersey’s We Care Program and Civic Engagement, told members of the New Jersey Senate Higher Education Committee when he testified about student hunger this month.

He told the committee that when people think about the diet of college students, ramen noodles often come to mind – and they aren’t the most nutritious. “That idea is built into the student identity, so in some ways, food insecurity is built into the college experience, intentionally or not,” Heffernan said.

The We Care Program – which runs the main Ramapo College Food Pantry, as well as nine nonperishable satellite pantries and two chest freezer pantries with frozen meals across the College’s Mahwah, NJ campus – is working to combat student hunger, and support students when more costly, healthier food may be beyond their budgets.

In the last two-and-a-half years, the We Care Program has distributed nearly 5,300 bags of fresh produce, a mix of fruits and vegetables, to students in need, who request a bag beforehand. And that need is only increasing. From Fall 2024 to Fall 2025, there was a 23% increase in the number of bags of food distributed weekly. Nearly every week this semester, the pantry has distributed 80 bags of fresh produce.

The College will be able to continue the critical program thanks to a $17,500 Hunger-Free Campus Act grant awarded last week by the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE). The grant builds upon previous Hunger-Free Campus Act grants from OSHE as well as from the Bergen County Office of Food Security aimed at helping combat food insecurity on campus.

New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coghlin (D-19) toured the Ramapo College Food Pantry with Dylan Heffernan, assistant director of Ramapo’s We Care Program.

The latest grant for Ramapo is one of 36 that OSHE awarded to higher education institutions across the state to support campus-based resources including food pantries and outreach connecting students with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“Today’s students are entering higher education from a wider range of backgrounds than ever before, thanks to our work to expand educational access,” said Secretary of Higher Education Brian K. Bridges. “As we have created more opportunities for residents to pursue life-changing degrees and credentials, many students still face real barriers to completing college, including food insecurity. That’s why strengthening our student support infrastructure from the state level remains essential.”

Heffernan said he was grateful for the state support.

At Ramapo, the funds will be used to continue the fresh food distribution program, purchase a second industrial refrigerator for the food pantry to expand how food can be safely stored, and to continue providing meals to students in need who stay on campus during Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks, according to Heffernan.

Heffernan said the need is real. “When you come from a high school with a free lunch program, it doesn’t change the situation when you get up to Mahwah, unfortunately,” Heffernan said.

The Ramapo Coillege Food Pantry provides nutritiuos food to students in need.

Besides registering for the fresh food distribution program, students can also stop by the food pantry for healthy food options. The pantry is open for one hour a day, Monday through Friday. Outside of those hours, students can email the We Care Program for access.

“We just try to make sure what we provide is as healthy as we can based on donations, of course,” Heffernan said. The pantry is stocked with items such as canned vegetables, canned fruits, pastas, cereal, canned proteins and sauces, he said. Satellite food pantries across campus have extended hours, and a smaller inventory, and are stocked with ready-to-eat items.

For more information on the We Care Program, and its additional initiatives such as the Student Relief Fund, Clothing Closet and Laptop Upcycle, visit its webpage.