FOOD BANK

Ever-increasing fees and the general state of the economy have resulted in a significant number of students skipping meals to make ends meet. The new A.S. Foodbank, which is now an official A.S. committee, is yet another instance where students identified a need in the student community and responded with the time, energy, and funding necessary to address that need.

After conducting a campus-wide survey that received nearly 2000 responses, student leaders and the Student Initiated Recruitment and Retention Commission (SIRRC) took action. Modeled on recently established food banks at UCLA and UC Davis, strategically located collection stations were set up and a space found on the third floor of the UCen to house the Foodbank. Care was taken to afford student “customers” a measure of privacy while shopping.

Currently the A.S Foodbank is accepting only non-perishable items, including canned goods, pasta, rice, and cereal.  It also accepts toiletries like shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, lotions, and other essentials. There are two distributions per week, Tuesday and Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Initially staffed by volunteers A.S. hopes to eventually create two paid part-time student positions to handle inventory.

The A.S. Foodbank has definitely been utilized by students in need. A.S. President Paul Monge-Rodriguez expressed the hope that once A.S. has an efficient distribution system in place the university will allow A.S to distribute fresh produce, fruits, and dairy products, since the food bank is part of a larger A.S. goal to provide students with a range of healthy food alternatives.

See also article in Student Affairs Summer 2011 parent newsletter “Campus Connection“