CSUN food pantry helps those in need during pandemic
America for nearly the last year has seen a rollercoaster of events. The Coronavirus pandemic has led to job losses, evictions, and even food insecurities. Many food banks and food pantries have been helping hands for those who suffer from shortages of food. But because of the coronavirus health crisis, these pantries are in need more than ever.
Many social services, such as those in Los Angeles County, have seen a big influx of people coming in requesting help with getting food. A number of those are students. Quite a few of them come from CSUN.
“We have seen a steady flow of visitors to the pantry,” said Christel Bowen, activities assistant to the CSUN Food Pantry and Food Programs, as well as for CSUN CalFresh outreach. “Many people have had their work situation modified or have lost their source of income during the pandemic.”
Bowen was happy to say that the food pantry at CSUN opened in 2016 and has been providing food to those in need since.
“The food comes from a few different sources,” she said. “We partially purchase the food items with the remaining coming through donations.”
Even during the time of the pandemic, and with it being partially operational, the food pantry has been serving students and the community alike to the best of their ability .
Bowen said she wants the best for the clients the pantry serves, and that they are worthy of the same rights as anyone else.
“In my opinion, having access to a food pantry is crucial for those who are facing any kind of food insecurity,” she said. “A food pantry not only provides food, which assists with one’s current need, but it can also serve as a place that provides referrals to other programs such as CalFresh outreach to assist with alleviating the long-term situation.”
CalFresh is the statewide funded food stamp program, also known as SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It has helped many Californians achieve their basic food needs, and allow them to sustain a better quality of life. CalFresh works in partnership with the CSUN Pantry and assists people who need help signing up for food stamps. They also provide help to other needed resources such as health care sign up.
Bowen praised the pantry and said that she is happy the pantry has remained operational during this tough time.
“We were able to expand upon our hours of operation and are now open four days a week,” Bowen said. She also said that CalFresh has extended their hours as well and have time slots for those in need. Bowen was happy with the fact that even during the pandemic, the pantry and its resources have still been able to operate.
“It’s a point of pride that we have been able to remain open,” Bowen said. “We still see many students, though the amount is about half as many as we saw prior to COVID,” she said. This is mainly due to the enrollment of students, especially those living on campus, being down.
According to LAfoodbank.org, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, along with other agencies, came together to help the “unprecedented demand for food assistance.” They have served as many as 900,000 families and individuals since July 2020, and increased their distribution rates by 145 percent. With the help of donors, volunteers, and help from local agencies, these LA regional food bank sites have served more than 174 million pounds of food as well as other products. For example, over 3 million diapers were dispersed in the year 2020 for those with small children. Another example is they have provided temporary work for laid off restaurant workers.
The CSUN Food Pantry continues to operate four days a week, and allows any member of the CSUN community to come in and take a pick of what they need. The pantry often has fresh produce, canned goods, and many times toiletries and hygiene products. This has served as a great help to those who need it most. As many students already have enough to worry about, food insecurity should not be one of them.One of the best parts of all of this is that the pantry as at no cost to anyone.
