Rent, food, gas prices: With everything increasing in cost, many families and individuals have reached their breaking point. 

“It’s insane how bad things have got,” said Grossmont Student Luis Macias. “I work downtown, and it seems like every week there are more and more homeless filling the streets. The sad thing is I know it’s not getting any easier for people here in San Diego and even across the country.” 

Inflation in March had risen the fastest the country has seen since 1891 reaching 8.5 percent. With demand so high, it is becoming increasingly difficult for suppliers to keep up, which has driven these prices to extreme levels.

There are many programs throughout the city trying their best to ease the situation for the people of San Diego County. Grossmont has been involved in helping people around the area for several years now with Gizmo’s Kitchen, Grossmont College’s food pantry. Recently featured in a CBS 8 report for its continued success in providing food, it averages 4,000 meals distributed every school year. 

Jacob McDermot, who works at Gizmo’s Kitchen, knows how important his job is as he found himself at Gizmo’s seeking help. In his interview with CBS 8, McDermont said, “Being able to access food right away was very helpful to my success because I didn’t have to stress where my next meal was coming from.”

Students in varying situations use the service.

“There’s some students who struggle with housing issues,” McDermott said. “Also, there’s students who may be coming from a background like former foster youth who struggle with lower income.”

Donations come in from several places to supply Gizmos Kitchen with food, including Feeding San Diego, which has distributed over 3.7 million pounds of food to organizations and people since July 2021.

“And just last month, we saw a 20% increase in April from the participation of people who came out in March,” said Dana Williams, Feeding San Diego’s Director of Marketing and Communication.

One positive of the process of receiving food is that there is no ID required, and they do not even keep track of the families that come through to obtain food. This makes things a bit easier on those coming in for food since it can be embarrassing for some who come for help, and they want people to feel as comfortable as possible.

The San Diego Food Bank also supplies Gizmo’s Kitchen, and the organization has noted it does not see an end to the spike coming anytime soon.

Brian Yi, former student and Gizmo’s recipient, said: “Gizmo’s was something I never thought I would have had to use, but I hit tough times and they were there to make sure I was fed, and the best part is no one makes you feel out of place. It’s just people helping people. Without Gizmos, I probably wouldn’t have been able to graduate and move on to UCSD.”

With so many people in need, it’s heartening to see Grossmont doing such a great job taking care of its students and community– and it’s just one more reason to be proud to be a Griffin.