Current:Home > ScamsCollege students struggling with food insecurity turn to campus food pantries -SecureWealth Bridge
College students struggling with food insecurity turn to campus food pantries
View
Date:2025-04-14 00:09:41
As many as one out of every three college students in the U.S. is dealing with food insecurity, according to Temple University's The Hope Center, and at the University of California, Davis, students line up daily for the school's food pantry.
"Rent is unbelievably expensive," senior Erin Cashin told CBS News. "It's unfortunate that food and groceries and just basic needs costs are so gigantic"
Cashin showed up 90 minutes before the doors opened at the on-campus food pantry.
"I literally structure my class schedules around being able to come to the pantry," she said.
The pantry is run by students, many of whom work there because they previously found help there themselves.
"It feels good to give back and know that I'm needed here," said junior Kate Tobie, who knows from experience about the "anxious" feeling of not knowing where your next meal might come from.
Leslie Kemp, director of UC Davis' Basic Needs Center, told CBS News she believes it's important to offer items like fresh produce, some of which is grown on the student farm and donated to the pantry.
"A dollar today buys a third of the commodities that it bought when I was in school," Kemp said.
And the problem of student food insecurity isn't unique to UC Davis. There are now close to 800 food pantries on college campuses across the country, according to the nonprofit Trellis Company. A decade ago, there were just 80.
But UC Davis was one of the first to open its pantry. It was originally buried in a basement, but campus officials told CBS News they found that location actually increased the stigma for those most in need. The UC Davis pantry is now located in the heart of campus.
While the pantry isn't intended for those with a meal plan or students who can afford groceries, it's open to anyone with a student ID, no questions asked.
"If we've got 10 students coming in and three didn't need it, I'm okay with that. As long as we get those seven who did need it," Kemp said.
Cashin said the pantry helps lift a "huge" load off her shoulders and that if it weren't available, "it would absolutely affect my academic performance. It would definitely affect mental health."
But she's careful to only take what she needs.
"I think that's kind of what comes with a gift economy. Let me make sure I leave some behind for the next person," she said.
veryGood! (317)
Related
- Sam Taylor
- FDA gives safety nod to 'no kill' meat, bringing it closer to sale in the U.S.
- Researchers Find No Shortcuts for Spotting Wells That Leak the Most Methane
- We asked, you answered: What precious object is part of your family history?
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- Vaccines used to be apolitical. Now they're a campaign issue
- Even remote corners of Africa are feeling the costly impacts of war in Ukraine
- Fish Species Forecast to Migrate Hundreds of Miles Northward as U.S. Waters Warm
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Trump: America First on Fossil Fuels, Last on Climate Change
Ranking
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Treat Mom to Kate Spade Bags, Jewelry & More With These Can't-Miss Mother's Day Deals
- Uganda ends school year early as it tries to contain growing Ebola outbreak
- Today’s Climate: Aug. 2, 2010
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Kroy Biermann Seeking Sole Legal and Physical Custody of His and Kim Zolciak's Kids Amid Divorce
- Warren Buffett Faces Pressure to Invest for the Climate, Not Just for Profit
- Are Democrats Fumbling Away a Potent Clean Energy Offense?
Recommendation
Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
FDA gives safety nod to 'no kill' meat, bringing it closer to sale in the U.S.
Researchers Find No Shortcuts for Spotting Wells That Leak the Most Methane
Less than a quarter of U.S. homes are affordable for the typical buyer, study shows
Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
Deli meats and cheeses have been linked to a listeria outbreak in 6 states
Are Democrats Fumbling Away a Potent Clean Energy Offense?
Welcome to Plathville Star Olivia Plath's 15-Year-Old Brother Dead After Unexpected Accident