By Emely Herrara
TEMPLE TERRACE- The University of South Florida opened a food pantry in 2015 to provide students with food and resources while they pursue their education. According to the pantry, about 40% of students face some type of food insecurity and nationawide the number is “about 3.8 million college students who experienced food insecurity in 2020.”
The pantry provides food items for about 100-200 students a week depending on the demand, according to Lyndsay Schuler. Schuler is a health science graduate from USF, and the pantry coordinator of the USF Feed-A-Bull Food Pantry.
“Students can visit during our open hours, fill out the short survey we have in the pantry, check in with their USF ID, and select items based on pantry guidelines and current inventory.” Schuler said.
The food pantry has a selection of free groceries, personal hygiene products, and household items. The pantry depends entirely on donations, and the biggest donor is Feeding Tampa Bay. The pantry also gets a monthly donation from Publix. Then the rest of the items that they get come from organizations on campus running food drives.
Since 2023, when Schuler atarted working with the pantry, she has seen how the pantry can help students at USF.
The pantry’s main “goal is to provide accessible support while ensuring resources are available to as many students as possible.”
“Many students have shared with me over the years how big of an impact Feed-A-Bull has had on them during their time at USF,” Schuler said. “Seeing the difference that support can make for so many students is incredibly rewarding.”
Liz Berner, a student who works at the pantry, spoke about her most memorable moments.
“I was helping a student who was visibly stressed about being able to afford groceries. After visiting the pantry, they expressed how much relief they felt knowing they had access to a resource like Feed-A-Bull”.
While the pantry assists in helping students with food insecurity, it also assists students with additional support. Both Schuler and Berner emphasized the importance of making students feel comfortable while asking for assistance.
“Food Insecurity can affect any student, and seeking assistance is nothing to be ashamed of,” Schuler said. “The pantry exists to support students, and our goal is to create a welcoming, judgment-free environment where students can access the resources they need to succeed.”
“The pantry provides a safe and supportive space where students can get the assistance they need, and there should never be any stigma associated with using these resources.” Berner said.
Students can get groceries discreetly by ordering them online and just picking them up. All three USF campuses have food pantries. For more information and assistance visit https://giving.usf.edu/where/institutes-centers/usf-food-pantries.
Reporter Emely Herrara is a Beginning Reporting student at the mass communications school at the University of South Florida.