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Utah universities see more students making use of the campus food pantry

Sophie Stout, associate director of student engagement and belonging at the University of Utah’s Eccles School of Business, restocks food and hygiene supplies at the In A Pinch pantry in Salt Lake City, Dec. 20, 2024.
Macy Lipkin
/
KUER
Sophie Stout, associate director of student engagement and belonging at the University of Utah’s Eccles School of Business, restocks food and hygiene supplies at the In A Pinch pantry in Salt Lake City, Dec. 20, 2024.

More students are using on-campus food pantries at Utah universities than last year. Utah State University, the University of Utah and Utah Valley University all reported increases this semester.

Utah State operates the Student Nutrition Access Center at its Logan, Price and Blanding campuses. September and October were the busiest months ever on the Logan campus.

“[Some] students don't use it because they don't think they qualify, or they don't think that they're needy enough,” said Dorothy Wallis, assistant professor of social work.

Wallis was the lead investigator on a study of food insecurity during the 2023-2024 academic year. The vast majority of survey respondents, she said, attend the Logan campus — and more than 60% experienced low or very low food security. That’s up from one-third of Logan students in 2018. Wallis thinks the increase has to do with inflation and the impacts of the pandemic.

“If you are worried about getting your next meal, then you qualify for SNAC,” she said. “If you're worried that you're not able to access a nutritious diet, then you qualify for SNAC.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says a household has low food security when diets are of limited nutrition and variety, while very low food security refers to those who reduce consumption repeatedly due to a lack of resources. In 2023, 13.5% of U.S. households experienced either type of food insecurity.

Food insecurity among college students is more common.

The Government Accountability Office found that 23% of college students experienced food insecurity in 2020. More recent data is harder to come by, but a non-representative national survey conducted by Temple University said 41% of students experienced food insecurity in 2023 and 2024.

A survey of Utah college students published in 2022 found food insecurity disproportionately affected students of color, first-generation students, rural students and technical college students. On average, students experiencing food insecurity were likely to have a lower grade point average and poorer health and stress.

Wallis said having their pantry on the USU campus with no application makes it more approachable, especially for students with jobs on top of coursework.

“Regulations can be really intimidating when you have to go in and fill out paperwork,” she said. “If you have that on campus that is low-barrier, it's gonna be a supportive environment for students who are already there.”

A majority of students who use the campus pantry said it helped them avoid going hungry and worry less about food. This can help with academic performance.

“Hunger is something that can cause stress [and] anxiety,” Wallis said. “That makes it hard to focus on other aspects” of life like studying.

In Logan, USU students are not allowed to use the Cache Food Pantry unless they have children.

The university’s pantry has changed and expanded since a student began providing canned food in 2010. Wallis said addressing food insecurity can prevent issues with substance abuse and employment down the line.

“If we can get the most basic need of food — and though not connected to the study, shelter, those sorts of things — addressed, we can prevent negative outcomes in the end.”

The food pantry at the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City is part of the In A Pinch Basic Needs Initiative. Students can access nonperishable food and hygiene items as needed.

“The range of things that students come to the space for stems from, ‘Oh, I forgot my lunch, I know I can grab a granola bar or something healthy from this pantry,’ to ‘I actually don't have access to resources to feed myself financially,’” said Tara Hardison, assistant dean of undergraduate programs.

A 2022 survey found 30% of student respondents at the Eccles School experienced food insecurity, up from 25% in 2020. As of Dec. 4, the pantry had distributed more items than in the entire previous academic year, according to a news release.

Earlier in December, Utah Tech received $20,000 in groceries from Lin’s Fresh Market for its food pantry. However, staff there did not respond to KUER’s request for information on how many students use the pantry. The Weber Cares Pantry provides free food at Weber State but lacks long-term data, according to Student Support and Resource Coordinator Jared Tenney.

Kinsey Oldroyd, food access program manager at Utah Valley University, said they currently serve about 250 unique students a week, which is the highest average for any semester since the pantry opened in 2011.

Macy Lipkin is a Report for America corps member who reports for KUER in northern Utah.


Editor’s note: KUER is a licensee of the University of Utah but operates as an editorially independent news organization.

Macy Lipkin is KUER's northern Utah reporter based in Ogden and a Report for America corps member.
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