By WREN KING

The issue of food security for students is well documented, and rightfully so — the University of Pittsburgh through the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice #RealCollege 2021 Basic Needs Survey has identified that 18% of the student body is food insecure.  Conversations about food insecurity on higher education campuses focus heavily on support for students, but it is important to assess the entire campus community.

Food insecurity among staff, faculty and medical students is not well documented in academic literature, but some can be found here, here, and here. Staff Council and I would like to begin a conversation about food insecurity across the entire Pitt community, provide resources both within and outside of our campus for those facing food insecurity, and inspire action and involvement to address food accessibility.

In 2006, the USDA introduced new language in regard to food insecurity as recommended by the Committee on National Statistics of the National Academies. Food insecurity was defined as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food," and hunger as “an individual-level physiological condition that may result from food insecurity.”

According to the city of Pittsburgh in their FeedPGH report, utilizing figures from 2019, one in five Pittsburgh residents — more than 60,000 people — are food insecure. Allegheny County faces a 13.1% food insecurity rate, 2.1% higher than the national average. The residents of Pittsburgh face food insecurity at a higher rate than the average American. This reflects that Pittsburgh residents face poverty at a higher rate than the average American, 19.5% compared to 11.1% (both as of 2023).

You can explore the federal poverty income guidelines for 2024 at the Department of Human Services for PA. While we don’t have good data for food insecurity within the Pitt community, we can see that Pittsburgh and Allegheny County face food insecurity. 

Pitt’s Resources: The Pitt Pantry

The Sustainability Plan includes a commitment to building food systems that support a healthy body and healthy planet. Pitt provides and supports resources to ensure that the Pitt community can have regular access to a balanced and nutritious diet, the main resource being the Pitt Pantry.

The Pantry is open not only to students but also to staff, faculty and other employees with a Pitt ID. Located at the O’Hara Student Center on the first floor and currently open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the Pitt Pantry provides common household items/toiletries, shelf-stable foods, fresh produce, frozen meat, and other items on a rotating basis. Shoppers can visit the Pantry twice a month. If you cannot visit the Pantry during its current hours, you can send an email to coordinate alternative accommodation to pantry@pitt.edu.

How to support

If you want to support the Pantry’s efforts, they always are soliciting donations. One can drop donations outside the pantry door. Their current most needed items are:

• Paper products (tissues, paper towels, toilet paper)

• Soaps (dish/hand soap, detergent, shampoo, conditioner)

• Gluten free meals & snacks

• Dietary items (e.g. Halal, Kosher, vegan)

• Culturally diverse products

  • Asian (rice vermicelli noodles, fish sauce, seaweed, curry powder, dried chili peppers, etc.)
  • African (tamarind, canned coconut milk, couscous, chicken bouillon, pearl millet, plantains, etc.)
  • Latin (Harina pan cornmeal, tortilla wraps, corn chips, salsa, etc.)

• Shelf-stable beverages (plant-based milk, boxed juice/milk, water)

• Spices & seasonings

• Pasta sauce

• Menstrual products (period cups, tampons, pads, etc.)

• Cooking oil (olive, avocado, palm, chili, sesame oil, etc.)

• Shelf-stable meat products (canned chicken/tuna/clams, jerky)

The Pantry also accepts in-kind donations and financial support through the Office of Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement. If your unit or department would like to further support the Pantry, you can contact them at pantry@pitt.edu.

Additional resources

For further food insecurity resources, the Care and Resource Support Office provides information on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which is available for students, staff and faculty. Eligibility is determined based on monthly income, family size, as well as other factors. If you or someone you know is facing difficulty with the grocery bill each month, consider getting in touch with the Care and Resource Support Office to discuss SNAP as an option to assist with costs.

Pitt’s Library System has collected Pittsburgh community food information, including helplines, local farmers markets, food pantries, and soup kitchens that are available for anyone who needs food resources or those who would like to support those in need in our community. There are extensive volunteer opportunities that can be found at PittServes, as well as volunteer and donation opportunities at local organizations.

If someone is experiencing more than food insecurity and needs financial assistance, they can contact the Office of Human Resources to inquire about the Employee Emergency Fund. Originating from an idea developed by Staff Council, the Employee Emergency Fund is a collaborative program from organizations throughout our campus community.

The path forward

While it is difficult to know the true scope of the problem that we face in terms of food insecurity, it is simple to see the ways in which we can support and address access to food.

Visit your neighborhood farmer’s markets. Check out your local community garden. Support the resources that work within the University community and across the city with your time and dollars. Advocate for the continued support and expansion of SNAP, the national school lunch program, and WIC. Advocate for the increase of wages across our region for all people. Increase awareness of food insecurity and destigmatize accessing resources.

Ask yourself, what does a future look like where we all can access healthy, delicious, nutritious food? How can we build that future together? Where can I take my first step?

Wren King is a recruitment coordinator in the Department of Medicine serving staff, students, and temporary workers. They are also a member of Staff Council’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.