How Feeding San Diego Supports Local Students Experiencing Food Insecurity

Published On: August 15th, 2024By Categories: Resources3.9 min read

It’s back-to-school season. For many families, this time of year is full of chaos. From back-to-school shopping to changes in child care and routine, getting the kids back to school is no easy feat. And the pressure on families experiencing food insecurity is even more severe. On top of everyday concerns, they have to worry about balancing back-to-school costs with concerns about having enough food at home. At Feeding San Diego, we know that students of every age need healthy food to learn. That’s why many of our programs focus on supporting food-insecure students.

A woman receives food from a volunteer at a school pantry

Parents and kids receive food at a local school pantry

Students and Food Insecurity

According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study, over 100,000 children in San Diego County are considered “food insecure.”  The United States Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life. In addition to K-12 students, college students are also impacted by food insecurity. The California Student Aid Commission’s 2023 Food and Housing Survey reports that 66% of respondents, all college students, identified as food insecure. These numbers tell us that there’s an issue with food insecurity for students. We know that food is necessary for learning. But many kids and college students don’t have access to the nutritious food they need.

College Pantries

Feeding San Diego’s college pantry program is one way we support food-insecure students. Often, with the help of existing services, we set up these pantries right on college campuses. The central location allows students to pick up food between classes or before on-campus jobs. Samantha, a recent San Diego State University graduate, told us how these services helped her finish her degree.

A smiling young woman holding food from a college pantry

Samantha holding food she received at the Mesa College distribution

“Getting groceries was really hard when I moved out of my parent’s house,” she explained. “So, I frequent many food pantries around San Diego now, and it’s been really great. It’s really hard being a student and having food insecurity, and having this food pantry available, not to mention being on campus, is extremely helpful and makes me not worry about what I’m going to have for dinner after having a long day at school. Having tests and exams are already really stressful, so not having to worry about food and groceries alleviates that.”

School Pantries

Like their college equivalents, school pantries are located at local K-12 schools throughout the county. Parents can pick up food for their families at a place they already go: their child’s school. School pantries provide a mix of fresh produce and pantry staples. We currently partner with about 40 schools around the county. However, we are actively expanding our school pantry program to meet the level of need we see in the community. Adrian, a parent whose kids attend a school with a Feeding San Diego pantry, expressed the service makes a difference for his family.

A man with his arm around his young son at a school pantry

Adrian and his son at a school pantry

“Both my kids go here, and we noticed every time I come to pick them up, there’s always food that’s been placed out, and they offer if we like to take food home with us,” he told us. “So when they offer us the food, it does help us, you know, budget-wise. They always have some type of cereal or quick fruit that they can grab, which is definitely helpful. So we really appreciate that. Eating healthy is definitely important. Having fruit and stuff on hand, we know it’s healthy for their body and their growth overall. So we definitely are thankful and appreciative when healthy stuff is accessible for them.”

Expanding Resources to Meet the Need

Right now, we have a waitlist of more than 20 schools in need of an on-campus pantry. We plan to remove as many schools as possible from the waiting list this school year. But that depends on how much we can raise to support them.

Depending on the need at the school and how many households they’ve requested, these programs can cost upwards of $100,000 a year for food and transportation. We have schools on the waitlist all around the county, from Escondido to Imperial Beach to Oceanside to El Cajon.

How You Can Support Food-Insecure Students

When you support Feeding San Diego, you help ensure local students have access to resources like school and college pantries. Until August 31st, a generous donor will match every dollar you donate up to $50,000. That means a gift of $10 can help provide 40 meals to the community.