FOOD BANK COMMITTEE

The AS Food Bank Committee coordinated multiple events throughout the school year. They tabled at several events on and off campus including Pardall Carnival, the AS Recruitment Fairs, Chilla Vista, the new UCSB Farmers Market and more.

The Food Bank Committee also collaborated with many other organizations on campus. One collaboration to highlight was with the Cooking Coalition. The Cooking Coalition is comprised of the AS Food Bank Committee, CAB, COSWB, and Health and Wellness. These groups collaborated  to host several events to educate people about healthy foods and nutrition, and how to reduce stress when cooking. These events included Food Frenzy Day and Steppin’ Into IV.

This year the committee also focused on the transition from the residence halls to living IV. The committee wanted to teach students basic cooking skills and tips to ease any apprehension about making meals for the first time alone. The committee hosted numerous events, including cooking demonstrations in the residence halls to teach students how to find healthy ingredients and cook simple meals.

The Food Bank Committee’s signature event this year was February Food Month. Our primary partner through the month was the Isla Vista Food Co-op and they were extremely influential in the month’s success. The month included a mindful movie series. Movies like Soul Food Junkies and many more examined issues such as food security and eating habits. There also was a campus-wide couponing competition where teams formed to see who could realize the most savings at grocery stores from cutting coupons. The culminating event of the month was the SNAP Challenge, where students, staff, and community members lived on $4.50 a day and then shared their experiences in a panel discussion.