Campus Food Pantry Use Addresses a Gap Among California Public University Students

Food Insecurity on College and University Campuses: A Context and Rationale for Solutions

“…Although these designation programs have no enforcement mechanisms to ensure that the requirements for designation continue to be met, early evaluation research suggests that these programs can be effective for improving food security status. 71 Similar to the federal level, there is growing state-level legislative attention and enthusiasm; however, 37 states had no relevant legislation. 70 This leaves a lot of room for improvement and advocacy, as states have the capacity to develop and implement more comprehensive approaches that go beyond federal food assistance programs.…”

Food insecurity and utilization of campus food resources differ by demographic and academic group

“…Given the high prevalence of food insecurity in the college environment and its relevance to student success and well-being, universities are seeking solutions to food insecurity by implementing campus food resources like food pantries (Becerra & Becerra, 2020;College & University Food Bank Alliance, n.d.;Martinez et al, 2019Martinez et al, , 2020Payne-Sturges et al, 2018;Weaver et al, 2020). Campus food pantries provide students with immediate access to food, making them a potential source for supporting students and alleviating food insecurity (Esaryk et al, 2021;. This strategy is increasingly employed by universities to address the need for food access and is being used by students more frequently (Esaryk et al, 2021;Gammon et al, 2021;Weaver et al, 2021).…”

“…Campus food pantries provide students with immediate access to food, making them a potential source for supporting students and alleviating food insecurity (Esaryk et al, 2021;. This strategy is increasingly employed by universities to address the need for food access and is being used by students more frequently (Esaryk et al, 2021;Gammon et al, 2021;Weaver et al, 2021). For example, all ten campuses in the UC system have campus food pantries, basic needs centers to support student food security, and annual basic needs budgets that each campus utilizes with its own tailored approach (UC Basic Needs Initiative, n.d.).…”

“…However, a study conducted at University of Florida showed that while over a third of students reported being food insecure, only 38% utilized the campus food pantry, raising concerns as to how effective the campus current practice is (El Zein et al, 2018). Recent literature has called for further evaluation of campus food resource participation and the effectiveness of food pantries in addressing food insecurity (Davis et al, 2020;Esaryk et al, 2021;. Given the current gaps in understanding food insecurity, as well as the limited literature on campus food resources generally, it would be beneficial to utilize student demographic and food resource usage data to inform current and future campus food resource implementation efforts, especially as they pertain to various marginalized demographic and academic groups.…”

Evaluating Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding CalFresh Participation in University Students

“…In the college student population, reasons regarding low program participation are unknown, however the authors hypothesize that knowledge about food assistance programs is low. Students are often newly independent and may have limited awareness of the many resources available to them including those provided through the university and social programs to improve housing and food access [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Alongside the potential benefits of social support programs like CalFresh for students in California and the U.S., the utility of these social food benefits may serve as a model outside of North America, in general and college populations alike [ 28 , 36 ].…”