6 free meals a week just for showing your student ID

DENVER - Ramen noodles and Pop-Tarts may not grow on trees, but they are free for the taking if you are a student at Metro State College of Denver.

Beginning in the fall, a group of college students studying nonprofit work decided to open the Metro State Food Bank. The program supplies students with six food items every week throughout the school year.

The food bank is one of more than 90 food banks along the Front Range that will benefit from this year's 9Cares Colorado Shares holiday food drive.

The cost is cheap - free - and you'll only have to pull out your student ID to gain access to the food banks supplies. There are no qualifications, costs or hidden fees, and no questions asked.

The food variety is more diverse than a typical student diet. While there are plenty of Pop Tarts and packets of Top Ramen available, the Metro State Food Bank also provides food items for hearty meals, like spaghetti, soup, bread, potatoes, yams, and canned fruits and vegetables.

"I think it's really hard out there right now," said Brittany Pyle, a coordinator at the Metro State Food Bank. "All of us are feeling that crunch and there aren't always resources available for college students to go out and get what you need."

College students who are living on student budgets end up spending a huge chunk on rent and increasing tuition costs. And yet, many students do not qualify for lower income assistance programs. Oftentimes, a healthy meal is the first thing to go.

"We're not all single parents or low income enough to qualify for specific programs," said Pyle. "So this is trying to supplement what we can do for ourselves and our diets, to help ensure (students can feel) a bit more full."

The food bank is nestled in at the pool hall in the basement of the Tivoli Building at Metro State, which is on the Auraria Campus near Speer Boulevard in Denver.

To learn more about 9Cares Colorado Shares, visit: http://www.9news.com/life/community/events/fooddrives/winter/ For questions, call 303-352-7094, or e-mail metrostatefoodbank@gmail.com.