UHCL offers resources to alleviate food insecurities on campus
Food insecurity can be described as a state of being without access to nutritious, affordable food at a consistent rate. There are college students across the United States who lack a consistent flow of basic resources such as food. Students who attend the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) are no exception.
In an article titled “Food Insecurity on College Campuses” published April 4, 2018, by The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), an organization specializing in policy solutions for low-income people, CLASP reports that 20 percent to 30 percent of students at four-year universities experience food insecurity.
The CLASP article also revealed that a 2015 study at Cornell University found 26 percent of students surveyed avoided meals to save money and that first-generation low-income students are particularly vulnerable with more than 56 percent of all first-generation students experiencing food insecurity.
As a result of Hurricane Harvey in late 2017, a food drive on the campus of UHCL was created to serve as additional support for students who had experienced damage from the hurricane. The idea of a student service such as the food pantry was something that Dean of Students David Rachita always knew should be on campus. With the natural disaster that was Hurricane Harvey, the time came for such a service to finally come to fruition.
As Hurricane Harvey’s food drive came to a close, there was still a great amount of food that remained. There rang a question as to what to do with the leftover goods. Rachita answered this question with the idea to keep an ongoing food pantry. This food pantry would hold non-perishable food items for students who were in need of them. With the opening of the food pantry came students willing to utilize this resource. A majority of these students had no Harvey damage.
“We had a lot of students who used the pantry; to fill that need was obvious,” Rachita said.
The food pantry is located in the Dean of Students Office, suite 1.201 in the Student Services and Classroom Building, and is open for all members of the UHCL community. The food pantry not only offers non-perishable food items but school supplies and toiletries as well, excluding clothes.
Taking full advantage of services such as a food pantry when in need, may serve as a hurdle for some to overcome. Matt Perry, director of student housing and residential life, encourages UHCL students who may be hesitant but in need to participate in such services. “I think every student comes to college with a different set of circumstances; it may be food insecurities,” Perry said. “Something like a food pantry service provides an extra layer of support.”
To qualify for the food pantry, students, faculty, and staff must be part of the UHCL community, with no personal information disclosed, not even a name. “We make no judgments; it’s confidential; it’s discrete,” Rachita said. “The Dean of Students Office is a confidential, safe, welcoming, environment.”
The food pantry operates Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., excluding national holidays and other university closings. Contributions are always welcome.
