“I, like many folks, came to college to get out of poverty,” said Anthony Carrasco ’18 in an October PBS “NewsHour” story. Instead, he often skips meals to save money — putting the struggle to meet basic needs ahead of his studies.
Unfortunately, Carrasco, the first in his family to attend college, is not alone. An estimated 39 percent of Cal undergraduates recently reported lacking consistent access to nutritious food — a growing problem as fees, textbook costs, and living expenses increase. The university is investing in efforts to ensure its students are food secure, and employees are stepping up to help.
“Coming from a family that struggles to make ends meet, it is nice to be able to focus clearly on school without the worry of where and when my next meal will come.”
Cal Nourish, which collects gift cards for local supermarkets, launched last year to assist students during the winter break, when financial aid halts. In just two campaigns in December of 2015 and 2016, staff gave nearly $14,000Â in gift cards, providing groceries to approximately 425Â students.
The campus Food Pantry. Photo: Jocelyn Hsu
In a related effort, University Development and Alumni Relations recently raised $3,200 for the campus Food Pantry, which reportedly served three times the number of students in 2016 than it did in the previous two years. The pantry also drew overwhelming attention during November’s Big Give, raising nearly $17,000.
Wrote one pantry visitor, “Coming from a family that struggles to make ends meet, it is nice to be able to focus clearly on school without the worry of where and when my next meal will come.”
Reflecting the compassion of the Berkeley workforce, such efforts send a message to students that they are not alone.
