No student should have to learn on an empty stomach. At the Owl's Nest Food Pantry,
we offer free snacks, weekly groceries, and hygiene items to support your well-being. We also provide Walmart gift cards and can connect you with additional resources like CalFresh, housing support, and
basic health supplies.
Students are welcome to come in and get 2 snacks a day.
The Owl's Nest partners with Second Harvest to provide healthy food options.
Registered students for our services will receive a $50 electronic gift card. The e-Gift Cards can be used to purchase groceries.
Your e-Gift Card(s) may be used in-person at Walmart & Sam's Club and online at .
Use your full balance: Receiptswill not be approved if there is more than $3 remaining on your gift card or combine gift cards with anyone.
**IMPORTANT: Distributions dates may change or be canceled depending on funding or
supply availability.
Food Pantry Registration Instructions
1. Applications Open:
Summer Application will be open soon.
Applications are processed during thethird week of the quarter.
2.How to Register:
Complete the online registration form
Application needs to be completed every quarter.
Your enrollment and email address will be verified.
Important: Use the same email as the one listed in MyPortal.
3. After Registration:
Once your information is verified, you'll be added to the nextdistribution date (see below)
You will receive an e-Gift Card to purchase groceries
4.Submit Your Receipt:
After using your e-Gift Card, submit yourgrocery receipt.
Receipts will be verified to ensure purchase was for food items only.
Once approve, you'll be eligible for the next distribution date.
Returning Food Pantry Students
Please ensure you have sent all your eGift Card shopping receipts to us with your
8-digit Foothill Student CWID to emailfoodpantry@foothill.edu
Register for the current quarter you want to receive food pantry benefits. You must
reapply every quarter.
Distribution Dates: Summer 2026
Note: Grocery gift cards will ONLY be distributed on the mentioned distribution dates.
Distribution dates subject to change or cancelled due to funding or change in supply.
Cards are sent by the end of the day of the distribution date. This allows students
to register or turn in receipts.
Note: The Owls Nest Foothill Pantry is not able to give retroactive cards.
Please submit your receipt/s as soon as possible to be added to the next distribution.
Receipts are due no later than 12:00pm on the day of distribution to allow time to
process them. Receipts submitted after 12:00pm on the day of distribution will not
be processed in time for that date's distribution, which means you will miss receiving
a grocery card. *Note that this does not mean that you need to submit the receipt
same day you receive an egift card. You have 3-4 weeks to make a purchase and submit
your receipt.
Failure to submitting receipts will result in not receiving an e-card until a receipt
is received by food pantry staff, and once we receive the receipts, we will add you
to the next distribution date. The receipt should only reflect the gift card you were
issued. You cannot combine gift cards and if you need to pay anything extra, make
sure to separate transactions.
Purchasing non-food items with the e-Card is not permitted.
The purchase on non-food items, alcohol or tobacco, will result in loss of continued
access to Food Pantry services.
Community Resources at the Owl's Nest The Owls Nest connects students to essential community resources, including CalFresh
food assistance, local food banks, emergency services, and more. Whether you need
help with groceries, housing, or health care, we’re here to guide you with care and
support.
Provided via EBT debit card (looks like any other debit card)
Use it to buy groceries and fresh produce at participating stores, restaurants and
farmers' markets
To find out if you qualify, get help with your application, or extend your eligibility, you can ask questions
or get help via Zoom with a Foothill staff member.
A special thanks to the for their contribution and ongoing support to the Foothill Food Pantry. Thanks to
donors like the Assistance League® of Los Altos, hundreds of students facing food insecurity are able to put food on
their tables. To make a donation to the Food Pantry and support students in need,
you may click .
Food Pantry FAQs
Maintaining eligibility is the responsibility of the student. If help is needed using
the gift card, it is the responsibility of the student to inform their trusted helper
of the rules and requirements. Someone else breaking the eligibility rules on behalf
of the student will still result in loss of eligibility.
No. Student eligibility is the responsibility of the student. Please advocate for
yourself at the store. Ask to speak to a manager if necessary or cancel the transaction
if your eligibility is on the line.
No. We need to see a receipt before we can consider any new requests. We highly suggest
not using self-checkout and opting for a register with a cashier present in case the
receipt is damaged or not printed. Stores must provide you with a receipt. If you
encounter a cashier that refuses to provide a receipt, please ask to speak with a
manager or the customer service department before leaving the store and get your receipt.
If the manager or customer service do not provide you with a receipt, you always have
the option of canceling the transaction.
Submit your receipt as soon as you use your card. This will help minimize the chance
of losing or damaging your receipt. The absolute deadline for receipt and request
submissions is 12pm on the day of the distribution date. If it is the end of the quarter,
you are planning to skip a term, there is a break in your attendance, or you just
don’t plan on requesting a new card right away, do not wait to submit your receipt
until your next request.
Before you make the purchase, you can either 1) email us at dafoodpantry@deanza.edu
or stop by our office and share the item with us to confirm it will or will not be
eligible or 2) we roughly follow . If you use SNAP and the gift card to pay, make sure all items are eligible or you
will lose gift card eligibility.
No. Using another student’s CWID, address, email, or personal information to receive
gift cards is a violation of the student code of conduct – even if the student has
given you permission. Using another student’s gift card is also not permitted. Violating
the student code of conduct will result in program ineligibility and may be reported
to the office of student affairs.
No. Each student must complete their own transaction and submit their own individual
receipt.
No, we cannot accept a receipt in this form. The receipt must account only food items.
Please make sure to keep these transactions separate to not lose your eligibility
by submitting a receipt that includes non-eligible items. If you have a question about
if an item meets eligibility, please email us at foodpantry@fhda.edu before you purchase it.
No, we cannot distribute cards retroactively and we cannot send cards outside of the
distribution dates. If you miss a card, please stop by the Owls Nest, and speak to
the Program Coordinator to receive other available food resources in your community.
To ensure that all students requesting gift cards are verified, we check that the
information that was included in the application matches what is on your portal. For
example, we verify name, CWID, email address, and etc. to fully verify students. We
cannot provide a card until all of the information matches
Before you make the purchase, you can either
Email us at foodpantry@fhda.edu or stop by our office and share the item with us to confirm it will or will not be
eligible or
We roughly follow . If you use SNAP and the gift card to pay, make sure all items are eligible or you
will lose gift card eligibility.