Staying Home, Staying Alive: Campus Food Pantry Student Clients’ Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In response to students’ food insecurity, a number of colleges and universities have taken action and established campus food pantries as part of their intervention plans. However, many of these pantries ceased operation due to COVID-19 campus shutdowns. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the short-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on postsecondary students, who use a university-provided food pantry. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with 12 participants, the thematic analysis explored the initial coping strategies these students used to endure the pandemic. Findings revealed that many students experienced the immediate effects of the pandemic in the form of income loss, self-isolation, anxiety, and appetite change. Although the pandemic interrupted these students’ journeys to continue their studies and become independent in various ways, the affected students implemented various coping strategies, including seeking help from family or friends, using available resources, cooking at home, and even trying to save money. However, considering that the targeted population in this study was already at risk because of their basic needs insecurity, these postsecondary students require extra attention from their higher education institutions in the case of emergencies, such as a global pandemic. In addition to its timely and relevant findings, this study provides important avenues for future research and intervention efforts.

Higher Prevalence of Food Insecurity and Psychological Distress among International University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Australian Perspective

“…The review suggested that international students became more vulnerable to food insecurity due to changes in employment, reduced financial support from family, and ineligibility for government welfare [ 43 ]. Similarly, a qualitative study in the US found the major cause of food insecurity to be income loss [ 20 ], where a greater proportion of international students (46.9%) lost their job during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with domestic students (21.8%), which may provide an explanation for the high rate of food insecurity in the current study. In response to the crisis, some Australian universities offered financial support, but this was very limited, especially for international students [ 44 ].…”

“…Many students were also affected by job losses and as a result experienced financial hardship [ 17 , 18 ], struggling to cover costs of living, including rent and food [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. These circumstances may have increased the likelihood of university students experiencing food insecurity.…”

“…These circumstances may have increased the likelihood of university students experiencing food insecurity. Several studies in the United States (US) have found higher rates of food insecurity among university students as a result of the pandemic [ 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

“…In regard to food security, there is also recent evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted domestic and international students [ 31 , 32 ]. A few studies elsewhere show the disproportionately greater impact on the international student cohort [ 19 , 20 ]. In this study, we aimed to explore the experiences of domestic and international university students during a period of COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions in 2020 in Sydney, Australia.…”