Around the nation, college students are facing the harsh realities of debt, poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity.
Food insecurity, by definition, is “The state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food,” according to Oxford Languages.
We hear it constantly. Jokes about college students living off of ramen, or not being able to pay simple bills. But the truth is, these jokes have a very harsh reality for a big percentage of college students.
In an article published by CNBC, a group of 7000 college students nationwide were surveyed in 2020. Of these 7000, around 38% of them feared that they wouldn’t have enough money to make it through the end of the semester. Adding to that, according to The College And University Food Bank Alliance, almost 1 in every 3 college students, or 30%, face food insecurity.
In 2014, a plan was made to attempt to help those who were struggling with food insecurity within our community at Idaho State University.
Linda Vailas, the wife of the then president of ISU, decided to make a change. After learning that 1 in every 6 Idahoans and 1 in every 4 children were food insecure, Benny’s Pantry was founded.
“We were pulling some numbers together and noticed that there were 50% of students that qualified for the pell grant. It started to become something that universities were looking at across the country in order to help other students meet basic needs and become successful,” said Stephanie Foreman, the Student Care and Assistance Coordinator.
“We get around 440 students per month that use our services.”
Despite Idaho State University being the first university in Idaho to offer a food pantry to students, colleges and universities across the country are stepping up to the plate to offer essentials to their students.
Benny’s Pantry offers its services to any students and staff who are in need of assistance and allows for pickup twice a month per person with amounts depending on family size. All that’s needed to qualify is your Bengal ID. No financial or family information is required.
Personal care items are also offered, like certain medicines and other hygiene products.
Benny’s Pantry has locations at 3 Idaho State University campuses, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, and Meridian, and is located in room 204 at the Pocatello Student Union Building. Hours are Monday from 12-2 and 4-6, Wednesdays from 4-6, and Thursdays from 12-2.
“If there are any students struggling with any basic needs, please visit the Dean of Students Office and we can find the resources available,” said Foreman.
“We want to make sure that all students have their needs met because when needs aren’t met it can prohibit students from completing their semester successfully. We’re here to help the students for all needs they may have.”
Volunteering and donating are also important to keep the food pantry running for all student access.
For those looking to help, Benny’s Pantry is always open and accepting donations for both food and personal care items, year-round.
For more information such as volunteer opportunities and other campus pantry hours, visit the pantry’s website at isu.edu/pantry
