Hartnell College is thrilled to announce the grand opening of El Mercado at the Hartnell College main campus on April 1, 2024. This ambitious project, cultivated by the Hartnell College's SOUL Center (Office of Basic Needs), aims to ensure students have convenient, year-round access to essential groceries, basic necessities, and personal hygiene products free of cost.

Amid the statewide growing awareness of the critical link between students' well-being and academic success, food insecurity and the lack of access to basic needs have emerged as significant barriers to learning. Recognizing this, Hartnell College is taking active measures to provide solutions to alleviate the challenges students face to ensure their academic success.

El Mercado, designed to look and feel like an actual grocery store, will feature a diverse selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products, and non-perishable items. It will also have sections dedicated to hygiene products, school supplies, clothing, and childcare items.

Open to all currently enrolled students, El Mercado aims to go beyond alleviating food insecurity. It seeks to create a compassionate and inclusive space that affirms every student's dignity and encourages their success and physical and mental well-being.