The scenario is a typical one.
A full-time college student, living away from home, having to pay Orange County’s exorbitantly high prices to rent an off-campus apartment, even with roommates splitting the cost.
Then there is the soaring cost of food.
This high cost of living can lead to “food insecurity,” a term defined by the Centers for Disease Control as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.”
The recently opened ASI Food Pantry in the Titan Student Union on the Cal State Fullerton campus – nearly twice the size of the old food pantry – was constructed to accommodate greater demand and better help alleviate food insecurity among CSUF students.
Managed by Associated Students Inc. and known simply as “The Pantry,” the 1,400-square-foot space is stocked with canned foods, frozen foods, fresh produce and freshly prepared meals, available for free to all full-time and part-time Cal State Fullerton students.
Using the Pantry diminishes the financial burden of a trip to the supermarket, said fourth-year student Alexa Vergil, who lives in the Bay Area and moved to Fullerton to attend CSUF in the fall of 2021.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever been on my own,” Vergil said. “If I ever do have to go to the grocery store, it’s usually around $100. So, paying for food — and I don’t have a job yet — kind of took a toll, and I have rent.”
Any CSUF student can visit the ASI Food Pantry up to once a week with an appointment.
“When I come here, sometimes they’ll have beans,” Vergil said. “Those last me a week, so I have a whole meal for a week. Same with the pasta, I have a whole meal for a week and not having to pay for that at the grocery store is really nice. It takes off a big load, too.”
Students are not required to prove financial hardship to qualify for the Food Pantry’s services.
“One of the biggest problems with food pantries is the stigma attached to…
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