With the holidays right around the corner, most WSU Vancouver students are concerned with finals or saving enough money for holiday presents. Among those same students, a large percentage are also concerned about having money for food. According to the recently released WSU Vancouver Campus Climate survey, 36 percent of respondents are “food insecure” and 20 percent reported having “low or very low” food security. According to Matt Edmonds, the communication director for the Clark County Food Bank, 112,000 people in Clark County accept food donations. “That means about 25 percent of our community in Clark County needs food,” Edmonds said.
Mariah Chapman, WSU Vancouver Cougar Food Pantry coordinator said, “Most WSU Vancouver students don’t even know about the Cougar Food Pantry, let alone know about the fact that in their tuition helps pay for the food the food pantry provides.” According to Chapman, the Cougar Food Pantry, is funded by student activity fees and gets most of the food supplies from Fred Meyer and Costco. The remainder of the available food comes from donations.
Both Chapman and Edmonds have noticed a rise in donations and volunteer time as the holidays approach. Edmonds said, “Even though there is this rise in donations and volunteers, there is also a lot of support in the summertime.” Edmonds also noted that they receive mostly donated produce during the summer and canned food in the cooler months.
“We want to raise the dignity level, we don’t want people to feel ashamed when accepting food donations. That’s why we set up a shopping style when people come to collect, so they can be an active participant,” Edmonds explained.
When asked if students on campus ever admit to feeling embarrassed or insecure receiving food donations, Chapman said, “Aside from people feeling like they get too much food when they believe others deserve more, most people are just very thankful.”
During Thanksgiving break, the Cougar Food Pantry held an open event where students could come to campus and pick out what food they wanted to take home for the break. Clairee Walters, junior public affairs major, was one of the coordinators of the event. Walters said, “The week after finals the Cougar Food Pantry will be holding something similar to this and we’ll be giving out winter meals.”
The Clark County Food Bank holds a nutrition education program, which is a six week course to “start people off right” according to Edmonds, explaining how “We are doing everything we can to help with the root of the problem when it comes to food insecurity.”
While the holidays may seem like the best time to donate and volunteer, both Chapman and Edmonds emphasized the importance of donating and giving a helping hand during the “off seasons” too.
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