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HEALTHCARE

Erie college students are battling hunger, and campus food pantries could be the solution

David Bruce
Erie Times-News

A wooden rocking chair, with a blanket draped over it, faces Bari-Lynn Abatta's office desk.

It's where Gannon University students sit when they visit Abatta and tell her they haven't eaten anything in a day, sometimes two.

"Sitting in a rocking chair can be comforting," said Abatta, who oversees Gannon's food pantry, known as the Store U-Knighted. "I have kids sitting in that chair, crying because they are in need. I'm a mom. When I know kids aren't eating, my heart is crushed."

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Colleges and universities across the country are reporting an increase in the number of students who use on-campus food pantries. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 30% of college students experienced food insecurity at some point during their time at school, according to a report by several student hunger organizations.

Local college officials said they believe that percentage has increased in recent years, spurred in 2022 by inflation.

"This fall, we have filled 251 orders through the Behrend Lion's Pantry versus 179 orders during the same period last year. That's about a 40% increase," said Chris Fox, who helps oversee the pantry as Penn State Behrend's assistant director of civic engagement. "And I don't see it coming down."

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How are college students facing 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 usually include a meal plan? All four Erie-area undergraduate schools now have on-campus food pantries.

That cost of tuition, which has significantly outpaced inflation over the past 50 years, could be one of the reasons. Families have to scrape together more money to pay for the student's classes, leaving less money for meal plans.

"Inflation also has 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 family's cost of utilities, gas and food cuts into that amount."

Whether due to cost or a lack of planning, many local students purchase less-expensive meal plans that only cover a portion of their 21 meals a week, both Abatta and Fox said.

The situation can be even more serious for international students, who often spend holidays on campus because it costs too much to travel home and can have difficulty finding a part-time job due to their visa status.

"We were off for Thanksgiving, and when I got 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 a part-time job and is still in need."

Gannon, Behrend, Mercyhurst use diverse methods to feed Erie students

Gannon and Behrend operate their food pantries in vastly different ways.

Abatta, whose main job at Gannon is secretary to nine different academic departments, visits with most of the students who use the Store U-Knighted.

"They come to me, usually by word of mouth, though we also spread the word in many other ways," Abatta said. "All I require is a student ID number, so we can show proof of services when it comes time to apply for grants."

Abatta or one of her student assistants escorts the student to the Store U-Knighted, which is located down the hall from Abatta's office in Gannon's A.J. Palumbo Academic Center, 100 W. Eighth St.

Items are selected, bagged and the student heads back to their residence.

Corrin Toscano, a 22-year-old Gannon University graduate student, holds a bag of rice inside the Erie school's food pantry, Store U-Knighted. Toscano helps tend to the Store U-Knighted as part of her work-study job.

"The students I have helped, it's not their first time at the store," said Corrin Toscaro, a 22-year-old Gannon graduate student who staffs the Store U-Knighted as part of her work-study job. "They usually know what they need."

At Behrend, students use the Lion's Food Pantry confidentially. They apply and choose items online using only their student ID numbers, and the pantry's staff packs the items and leaves them on a shelf at Smith Chapel.

"We tag the bags only with an order number, and email the student that it's 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 combat student hunger have evolved.

"We have added to our campus food pantry fresh produce options using our tower gardens and we have added swipe sharing options giving students the flexibility and variety of our dining hall options," said Greg Baker, vice president for mission, who oversees the university's food insecurity initiatives. "After learning that students are more likely to go without food over breaks, we have added grocery ride-sharing."

PennWest Edinboro did not respond with any information about their pantry.

Rice, hygiene products among food pantries' most popular items

Both the Gannon and Behrend food pantries specialize in nonperishable foods and hygiene products. Gannon also offers a fresh-foods day every three months when students can pick up fruits and vegetables while also sharing a hot lunch with Abatta and her student assistants.

Rice is one of the pantries' most popular items, especially with international students, and microwaveable meals are also in constant demand.

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"It has helped me a lot, when I'm running short on food and hygiene products," said Adian Al Bayati, a 20-year-old Gannon student who has used the Store U-Knighted and now has a work-study job with Abatta. "The hygiene products are expensive."

"We tell the students to get the hygiene products here and that saves them $10 they can then spend on food," Abatta said.

Corrin Toscano, a 22-year-old Gannon University graduate student, checks the expiration date on a can of beans in the Erie school's food pantry, Store U-Knighted. Toscano helps tend to the Store U-Knighted as part of her work-study job. Photo taken Nov. 30, 2022.

The Behrend and Gannon food pantries are funded by grants and donations. People can donate to the Store U-Knighted by visiting Abatta in Room 1209 at Gannon's A.J. Palumbo Academic Center, or contacting her at 814-871-5378.

To donate to the Behrend Lion's Food Pantry, visit sites.psu.edu/behrendlionspantry.

"Schools need to realize that this is a big issue," Abatta said. "Funds need to be allocated to stop this problem."

Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNBruce.