University debuts on-campus food pantry

The University of South Florida prides itself on being one of the most affordable universities in the state, yet officials say some students struggle to buy food every day.

The university opened a new on-campus food pantry Sept. 1 for students struggling to secure a meal, joining a growing number of institutions that now provide handouts to tuition-paying students. There are 209 active on-campus food pantries across the nation, according to the nonprofit College and University Food Bank Alliance. Ten of those emerged in the last month. In 2008, only about four groups existed.

Katie Jones, registered dietitian with USF’s wellness education department, wasn’t sure how many students would take advantage of the new Feed-A-Bull pantry, but in its first two days of operation, 16 students found their way to the small closet in a discrete corner of the student services building.

“They were from all backgrounds, but they were all so appreciative,” Jones said. “Hungry minds don’t think as well as those that are well-fed, and we thought this was an easy way we could offer help.”

A combination of dwindling financial aid packages, a sparse job market and a rising cost of living has hit students hard, experts say. Feeding America’s 2014 report on Hunger in America found that an estimated one in 10 students is going hungry. About 10 percent of the nonprofit organization’s 46.5 million food bank clients last year were students, and nearly 2 million were full-time students. About 31 percent said they often have to choose between paying education expenses and food.

“It’s one of the age groups not always included when you think about hunger,” said Jayci Peters, communications manager for Feeding America Tampa Bay. “We heard so many stories about students struggling with their classwork without proper nutrition, and we’re hoping this will raise awareness that food insecurity is a big issue across our community.”

The USF pantry opened with about 500 pounds of food donated by students, enough to feed about 50 people, but students are still learning about the service and gathering the courage to ask for help, Jones said. Feeding America Tampa Bay has volunteered to provide food while the pantry gets established, and students in the Feeding America USF club are volunteering with operations.

Neesha Hira, 20, said she was struck by the sincerity of the thank you’s she received from students filtering through the Feed-A-Bull pantry — and by how they looked just like her and her friends.

“We do a lot of events to help people in the community, but we don’t really do things for the people we surround ourselves with all the time,” Hira said. “If they don’t already live here, students have to pay outrageous rent, and in the first two weeks you have tuition and textbooks, and it can be really stressful if you can’t afford even proper food.”

The pantry is meant to be a temporary stopgap for students, not a permanent source of sustenance, Jones said.

Students can pick up 10-pound bags of nonperishable canned and boxed food, and three items of their choice twice a week. In the office next door, they can even borrow work-appropriate clothing for job interviews through the Suit-A-Bull program.

The only information requested in return is a student ID number to verify they are currently enrolled at USF, but a key component of the project is anonymity, she said. Students who frequently visit the pantry will be asked to meet with a case manager in the university’s Office of Student Outreach and Support.