PAFs Play a Role in New Food Pantry

This fall, GW opened The Store: GW’s Food Pantry, designed for and run by students to address food insecurity at the university. The Store’s soft opening was in mid-September, with 21 students requesting access to the pantry despite no advertisement. As of mid-December, The Store more than 370 students have requested access. Located within District House, students gain access to The Store with their GWorld card 18 hours of every day. From 12:00pm to 2:00pm, student volunteers restock the pantry’s shelves and clean the space. 

 

As current PAFs, Dor Hirsh Bar Gai and I volunteer bi-monthly as drivers for trips to the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB). Volunteering with The Store has helped Dor and me learn about food insecurity and has empowered us to make a difference on campus.

 

Although launched in response to a localized need for food assistance, this new project reflects a growing discourse on a national issue. According to the College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA), 48% of college students nationwide have experienced food insecurity in the last 30 days, including 56% of first-generation students. Survey data collected by GW in May 2016 shows that nearly six out of ten GW student respondents ate less than they felt they should at least once a month because there was not enough money for food. Having experienced food insecurity myself as an undergraduate, it is humbling and inspiring to help The Store provide resources to other GW students. 

 

 

Once or twice a month, Dor and I meet with a group of student volunteers and staff from the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) by the GW vehicle lot on 20th and H Streets. We then pile into cargo vans and navigate our way through Friday morning traffic to the CAFB in Northeast. Once there, DSA staff go ‘shopping’ for the food they will purchase from CAFB while we wait outside to load the vans as boxes come out. On our last trip, we transported more than 2,500 pounds of food back to campus. Back at District House, a team of more than a dozen student volunteers help us unload the vans and restock the shelves before re-opening The Store for student access. 

 

In addition to purchasing food at a highly discounted rate from CAFB, The Store receives donations from the GW Grow Garden and nearby businesses, including Whole Foods and Au Bon Pain. At The Store, students can also find cooking tools and feminine products. Based on the values of faith and trust, students are expected to take only what they need. Designed to emulate a grocery store, students are free to select their items, rather than receiving a pre-packaged set of groceries. Most students visit The Store once a week, and take two-to-three items per visit.

 

 

The Store, however, faces criticism. Some have responded by calling it a ‘band aid’ on the larger matter that is college affordability. In an interview with NPR’s Audie Cornish, Tim Miller, Associate Dean of Students acknowledged the issue: “it's a positive response to a really challenging situation, but it's not the ultimate solution. I think we have to look at how we manage the cost of education - higher education for all students.” While The Store and other on-campus food pantries across the country cannot address the deeper issues of the cost of higher education, they can help ensure students are well-fed.

 

Read more about The Store: GW’s Food Pantry