Since 2009, food insecurity has run rampant through America’s college campuses according to the United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], and BGSU is taking a stand against it. The Falcon Food Pantry, an on-campus organization that stocks shelves with food for students, completely free of charge, has been open since 2022.
According to an article by John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, food insecurity has been an issue in the United States since the early 1900s, starting with the Great Depression. In a 2023 study done by the USDA, it was found that 13.5% of U.S. households suffered from food insecurity at least once throughout the year. That 13.5% accounts for 18 million households. In the same study by the USDA, it was found that in 2023 the food insecurity rate was significantly higher than the rate in 2022, around 12.8% higher.
“I have been really lucky and fortunate in my life and have not struggled with food insecurity. Even after coming to college, I have always known where my next meal was coming from,” said Sadie Kavanaugh, a BGSU sophomore and interior design major.
Kavanaugh expanded on the new-found sense of pride she gained when she learned more about the Falcon Food Pantry.
“I actually had no idea we had a food pantry was a thing until this year, my second year at BGSU. I never really thought of food insecurity being an issue on our campus until this year. Then, when I learned more about the food pantry and all the work they do for our community, it really put into perspective how we really never know what other people are going through,” Kavanaugh said.
In 2009, food insecurity among college students was brought into the picture due to an article written by Pia Chaparro, a public health nutritionist and assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health. According to a 2022 study published by the National Library of Medicine, Chaparro’s article reported that 21% of students surveyed at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa had suffered food insecurity. This exposed an overlooked problem in food insecurity research.
On BGSU’s campus, the Falcon Food Pantry is a resource for those who are going through food insecurity. Founded by Shannon K Orr, Ph.D. in 2022, the pantry is fully stocked with a wide range of different kinds of goods. From non-perishable food items to diapers and hygiene products, they are all available to any BGSU student, faculty or staff member.
“We serve about 1,300 students a month. About 30% of that is international students, both undergraduate and graduate students. We also have a lot of graduate students that have families, so we are also serving them, not just the students. We also have staff members who have families, so it is a bigger number, but we see about 1,300 people shopping in the pantry every month,” said Mikayla Ernst, a graduate student at BGSU and the graduate assistant at the Falcon Food Pantry.
With a growing number of students on BGSU’s campus each academic year, this year reaching 19,703 students, the food pantry is getting more traffic now than ever before.
“We started out with only serving tens of students a month, and now we are up to 1,300 a month and over 100 a day, so it has definitely become a more popular resource throughout the years. Our busiest time of day is right after classes get out, so 12:20 p.m., 1:20 p.m., 2:20 p.m., etc.,” Ernst said.
Ava Franchini, a sophomore at BGSU, majoring in early childhood education spoke highly of the Falcon Food Pantry.
“When I left the food pantry, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for BGSU knowing that my peers are there for one another and that the university has my back if I may ever struggle with something like food insecurity. I’m proud to be a part of this considerate and empathetic community,” Franchini said.
All over the nation, many students are struggling with nutrition and go about their lives not knowing where their next meal will come from. BGSU has worked toward fixing this issue among their student body. With 1,300 or around 6.6% of students visiting the pantry on a regular basis, BGSU strives to continue to help the community and beyond.
