Students could pick up free produce at the Heart Market in SUN Dining Hall on Monday.

Basic needs coordinator Caitlin Silver said the Office of Student Engagement organized the event in partnership with the Maryland Food Bank.

According to Silver the Heart Market “help[s] provide access to food for students, faculty and staff that don’t have access particularly when it comes to fresh produce. So down at the end there we have apples, oranges, carrots, potatoes, things like that. The goal of the event [is] to help promote [healthy eating].”

Silver said she catered the event towards students who don’t have access to fresh produce.

“A lot of college students either live in food deserts or are food insecure,” Silver stated. “So we try to combat that by having an event like this.”

Student Roel Lomat said the event helps grow the college community.

“I think it’s really important that a college include … more events so that more people take part and help the community grow as a whole,” Lomat noted.

Student John Lorenzana said the market helped him and others in need.

“I think this is great because we don’t really have a lot of money at home,” Lorenzana noted “I just get it through it here.”