As students prepare for the winter closure of on-campus resources, UT Outpost, the school’s food pantry, will offer double portions to students experiencing food insecurity.
UT Outpost coordinator Will Ross said the food pantry allows students to obtain 25 to 35 pounds of food once per month during the semester, including nonperishable items, fresh produce and snacks. From Dec. 1 to Jan. 19, Ross said students will be able to visit twice in a month to prepare for when the pantry is closed during the University holidays.
“I really encourage students who are on the fence about taking advantage of this resource to really consider this as a tool for your success,” Ross said. “The equivalent is asking an academic adviser whether they should take this class or that class. We're here to help you be successful.”
According to a 2018 study from the Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences, 23.5%, or roughly 9,500, of UT’s undergraduate students said they experience food insecurity. Many undergraduate students reported going hungry, skipping meals to make ends meet or having to choose affordable, nonnutritious foods over more costly healthy foods, according to the survey.
Ross said food insecurity is further exacerbated around the holidays when students can no longer rely on campus resources for food.
Noah Vaughan, who graduated from UT in 2018, said they started experiencing food insecurity as a sophomore. Without a car, they did not have access to a nearby, affordable grocery store. Vaughan found a few clubs serving food each week to make up for dinner and occasionally shared food with a friend who had a meal plan, but many food sources disappeared during breaks.
Vaughan said although they feel more comfortable discussing food insecurity now, it was difficult to open up about when they attended the University.
“UT kind of felt like a rich kid school,” Vaughan said. “It would have been sort of outing myself as one of those people, like I didn't belong there, which I recognize now is not necessarily true.”
UT Outpost is working against the stigma around food insecurity by keeping the pantry open to any UT student enrolled in at least one credit course. People who want to pick up food are not required to share proof of need.
Since UT Outpost provides contactless service where students sign up for a pick-up time online, Ross said students who request food can have friends or family members pick up their bag on their behalf.
UT Outpost is also currently encouraging individuals to donate money, as opposed to food, so the organization itself can purchase what it needs.
Longhorns Eat, a student initiative that started as a class assignment, works with UT Outpost to raise awareness about the food pantry. Longhorns Eat member Aniket Matharasi said the group learned from UT Outpost that many students don't know about the resource.
“It was kind of heartbreaking to hear how people are facing these issues and don't necessarily feel comfortable seeking the help they may need because of the stigma attached to food insecurity,” business honors sophomore Matharasi said.
In a survey of 100 students this semester, Longhorns Eat found 55% did not know about UT Outpost.
“It was honestly very surprising to us, but, at the same time, also not that surprising,” Matharasi said. “I think a lot of people do kind of live in this bubble where they don't necessarily see the inequalities that are present around us.”
