A wooden rocking chair, covered with a blanket, faces Bari-Lynn Abatta’s desk.
This is where Gannon University students sit when they visit Abatta and tell him they haven’t eaten anything for a day, sometimes two.
“Sitting in a rocking chair can be comforting,” said Abatta, who oversees Gannon’s pantry, known as Store U-Knighted. “I have children sitting in this chair crying because they are in need. I am a mom. When I know the children are not eating, my heart is broken.”
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Colleges and universities across the country are reporting an increase in the number of students using on-campus pantries. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 30% of students experienced food insecurity at some point in their schooling, according to a report by several student organizations against hunger.
Local college officials said they believe that percentage has increased in recent years, boosted in 2022 by inflation.
“This fall, we fulfilled 251 orders through the Behrend Lion’s Pantry compared to 179 orders during the same period last year. This represents an increase of approximately 40%,” said Chris Fox, who helps oversee the guard. -eat as deputy director of civic engagement at Penn State Behrend. . “And I don’t see him coming down.”
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How do students deal with hunger issues?
How is hunger an issue at Erie-area colleges and universities, where most students pay between $20,000 and $30,000 and costs typically include a meal plan? All four undergraduate schools in the Erie area now have on-campus pantries.
This cost of tuition, which has far outpaced inflation over the past 50 years, could be one of the reasons. Families must raise more money to pay for the student’s tuition, leaving less money for meal plans.
“Inflation has also increased the cost of everything else for these families,” Abatta said. “Parents plan to give their child $100, $150 a month for their meal plan, but the cost of utilities, gas and food for the family reduces that amount.”
Whether due to cost or a lack of planning, many local college students buy cheaper meal plans that only cover a portion of their 21 meals a week, Abatta and Fox said.
The situation can be even more serious for international students, who often vacation on campus because the return trip is too expensive and may have difficulty finding part-time employment due to their visa status.
“We were gone for Thanksgiving, and when I came back, there were 13 student requests on Monday, eight on Tuesday, and six on Wednesday,” Abatta said. “I have a student from India who works part-time and is always in need.”
Gannon, Behrend, Mercyhurst use various methods to feed Erie students
Gannon and Behrend operate their pantries very differently.
Abatta, whose main job at Gannon is the secretariat of nine different university departments, visits most of the students who use the U-Knighted Store.
“They come to me, usually by word of mouth, although we’ve spread the word in many other ways as well,” Abatta said. “All I need is a student ID number, so we can show proof of service when it comes time to apply for grants.”
Abatta or one of his student assistants escorts the student to the U-Knighted store, which is located down the hall from Abatta’s office at Gannon’s AJ Palumbo University Center, 100 W. Eighth St.
The items are selected, bagged, and the student returns to their residence.
“The students I’ve helped aren’t their first time at the store,” said Corrin Toscaro, a 22-year-old Gannon graduate student who runs the U-Knighted store as part of her work-study job. . “They usually know what they need.”
At Behrend, students use the Lion’s Food Pantry in privacy. They apply and choose items online using only their student ID numbers, and pantry staff pack the items and leave them on a shelf at Smith Chapel.
“We label the bags only with an order number and email the student that they’re ready,” Fox said. “It’s hard for people to ask for help and we want to make it as easy as possible for them.”
Mercyhurst officials said their plans to address student hunger have evolved.
“We’ve added fresh produce options to our campus pantry using our tower gardens and we’ve added swipe sharing options giving students flexibility and variety in our dining options,” said Greg Baker, vice president for mission, which oversees the university’s food. insecurity initiatives. “After learning that students are more likely to go without food during breaks, we added carpooling to the grocery store.”
PennWest Edinboro did not provide any information about their pantry.
Rice, hygiene products among the most popular pantry items
Gannon and Behrend Pantries specialize in non-perishable food and hygiene products. Gannon also offers a fresh produce day every three months where students can pick up fruits and vegetables while sharing a hot lunch with Abatta and his student assistants.
Rice is one of the most popular pantry items, especially with international students, and microwaveable meals are also in constant demand.
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“It helped me a lot, when I was short on food and hygiene products,” said Adian Al Bayati, a 20-year-old Gannon student who used the U-Knighted store and now has a job in alternation. with Abatta. “Hygiene products are expensive.”
“We tell the students to get the hygiene products here and it saves them $10 which they can then spend on food,” Abatta said.
The Behrend and Gannon Pantries are funded by grants and donations. People can donate to the U-Knighted store by visiting Abatta in room 1209 at Gannon’s AJ Palumbo University Center or by contacting her at 814-871-5378.
To donate to the Behrend Lion’s Food Pantry, visit sites.psu.edu/behrendlionspantry.
“Schools need to realize this is a big problem,” Abatta said. “Funds must be allocated to end this problem.”
Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNBruce.
