On a Thursday in April, the food pantry on the first floor of the student center at the University of Vermont had cabbage, potatoes and onions, oranges and spinach, along with bread, cookies, cans of soup, beans and peanut butter. It was busy 鈥� throughout the afternoon, almost 150 people showed up.
鈥淲hen I went there before it opened at like 12:50 there was a line stretching all the way to the vending machines,鈥� said Atlas Cooper, a student who uses the pantry almost every week. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lot of people all just waiting for food.鈥�
The pantry is open to students, staff and community members, and for Cooper, it鈥檚 been a huge help.
"Not that I鈥檓 opposed to dumpster diving, but I鈥檇 prefer fresh food,鈥� they said.
鈥淲e collectively really need to leave behind, once and for all, the misconception that college students aren鈥檛 facing really basic needs security issues.鈥�Ivy Enoch, Hunger Free Vermont
These types of food pantries exist on college campuses across Vermont. And they鈥檙e fairly new 鈥� the one here didn鈥檛 exist until 2020. It鈥檚 completely student run, with over a dozen volunteers, including this reporter. Last year, they received over 17,000 visits.
It鈥檚 made a big impact, said Maeve Forbes, one of the student directors.
鈥淥ne of the custodial staff shared a story with me. Before the cupboard was here, she used to see students when she was collecting the compost. Sometimes students would come and take food out of the compost,鈥� Forbes said.
With the cupboard in place, she said that doesn鈥檛 happen anymore.
Another resource at the University of Vermont for students at campus dining halls. That program has seen rising demand 鈥� over 1,000 students enrolled last year, a 40% increase from the year before.
Other campuses are also expanding their free food offerings to students, like the Community College of Vermont. They鈥檙e planning to open food pantries at their campuses in St. Albans and White River Junction this fall, in addition to existing pantries at six campuses across the state.
At the pantry in Winooski, the shelves were lined with microwavable mac and cheese and breakfast bars. The pantry, attached to their student resource center, also offers a space where students can lounge or study.
Even at small, private schools, like Champlain College, there鈥檚 a food pantry connected to the student resource center. It鈥檚 open four days a week and is run by Emily Merrill, the student resources coordinator, and a team of work-study students.
鈥淭his really is a community response to our students' needs,鈥� Merrill said.
One of her goals is to make sure students know about the pantry.
"We have seen the response is generally an increase in use of this space and an increase in students asking for assistance when they need it," she said.
Champlain is one of eight Vermont schools that meet every few months to talk about food security on campuses, led by Hunger Free Vermont.
The group shares ideas about what鈥檚 worked well on different campuses.
鈥淪o food pantry design, best practices for creating a welcoming and destigmatized environment, good models for intake forms, ideas for garnering more donations and volunteer time and also just garnering support from institutions' administrations,鈥� said Ivy Enoch, who leads the meetings.
They've been meeting for almost four years and don鈥檛 plan to stop any time soon.
鈥淲e collectively really need to leave behind, once and for all, the misconception that college students aren鈥檛 facing really basic needs security issues,鈥� Enoch said, 鈥淏ecause they are.鈥�
This story was produced in collaboration between 开云体育 and the Community News Service. The is a student-powered partnership between the University of Vermont鈥檚 Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program and community newspapers across Vermont.
