Surveys done by the Social Work Association say that over 65 percent of students often skip a meal and need help getting food. Many students receiving financial aid to pay for school don’t qualify for food stamps.
Students and faculty of Salt Lake Community College have the Campus Cupboard, a food pantry, available to them for those times when they need help finding meals that they otherwise couldn’t afford.
Justin Hughes, food pantry coordinator at SLCC, says that there are a lot of people who need help getting meals and don’t know about resources like this that are available to them as students.
“Anyone with a student number can come to our pantry and fill out an application,” says Hughes. “This is one of the simplest applications a person can fill out to get food.”
Once a month, qualified students will be able to fill two grocery bags full of food.
“Most people want to donate, and we will accept all donations, but I would like it more if you know of anyone who needs help to tell them about the pantry,” says Hughes.
Social Work Association set up and operates the pantry. It took over two years to establish after going through training and inspections done by the Utah Food Bank. It is full of non-perishable food items including cereal, peanut butter, pasta, all types of canned goods like veggies, meats and beans, and was devised from a model that is used in universities like Utah Valley University.
Stefani Bardin conducted an experiment with researchers at Harvard University that showed that foods like Ramen Noodles can take a long time to digest compared to other foods and therefore, may have a negative effect on your health.
Eating different types of food can help reduce the harmful effects that eating too much Ramen can have on health.
The pantry can help students, who can’t afford to buy a variety of food, balance out their diet.
The SLCC Food Pantry is located at the South City Campus Room #2-152 and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays noon to 4 p.m. Donations are accepted by placing them in the bin outside the door any day. If you want to volunteer with the pantry you can contact Justin Hughes at bruincampuscupboard@gmail.com
Other services and resources available to students can be found by calling 211 of visiting www.211ut.org
