39% of Cal Poly students are experiencing food insecurity
Many students at Cal Poly are experiencing food insecurity.
When asked about her experience with food insecurity, an anonymous student said, “I would mainly skip dinner. Because my reasoning was, my reasoning was, dinner was the last meal so I could fall asleep and be hungry and it would be okay.”
This Cal Poly student isn’t alone. She student asked to remain anonymous because food insecurity is a sensitive and personal topic to her.
In 2022, 39 percent of the Cal Poly community experienced low or very low food security, according to data collected by the American College Health Association.
Food insecurity is defined as not having enough food to meet one’s basic needs.
Anthropology sophomore Tracie Morgan has utilized food services offered in San Luis Obispo.
“I don’t know how people are paying for groceries,” Morgan said. “Like it’s crazy right now. A head of lettuce is $2, a head of lettuce should not be $2.”
Both of these students are first generation college students and come from lower income homes.
As Cal Poly begins to diversify socio-economically and as the price of food continues to rise, food insecurity is a rising issue.
“I spent a lot of time in my room where I wasn’t as productive just so people wouldn’t hear my stomach,” the anonymous student said.
These students receive benefits from the CalFresh program, which is an entitlement program that assists low-income households and students in purchasing food.
They are also issued monthly electronic benefits that can be used to buy most foods at grocery stores.
“Working in the market just noticing how prices are just skyrocketing,” Morgan said. “It is crazy. It’s scary to think that if i didn’t have ebt like i don’t know what i’d be able to eat.”
Many food insecure students can’t qualify for EBT.
The Cal Poly Food Pantry is another resource for students to get food with no questions asked. The food pantry declined mustang news request for an interview.
For more information on food resources for students visit @calfreshcalpoly and @calpolyfoodpantry on instagram.
