- USU's food pantry faces space issues as student demand increases significantly.
- Program Director Jonathan Walters notes student visits rose from 5,000 to over 30,000.
LOGAN — On a Monday afternoon at Utah State University, an on-campus food pantry welcomed a constant stream of students who were seeking help with food insecurity.
The Student Nutrition Access Center, or SNAC, has been serving a growing number of students ever since it moved into the Taggart Student Center in 2018.
"After 2020, it really exploded," Program Director Jonathan Walters explained. "Once, all the COVID administration and all that kind of stuff went away, the numbers kind of jumped pretty dramatically."
Walters said the center went from around 5,000 student visits in earlier years to now reaching well over 30,000 by the end of the school year. Along with the demand, he said it has outgrown its space.
"We have stuff stacked absolutely everywhere," Walters said.
Kaiah Thomas, a senior in USU's dietetics program, who serves as one of the center's student directors, said at times, the center struggles to find the space for food donations.
"Sometimes we have an opportunity to get food, but it's like, I don't know where we're going to put it," Thomas explained. "We just don't have the room. So we try. We'll make it fit. But it's difficult for sure."
While a solution for SNAC's growing pains remains uncertain, Walters said a few organizations on campus have offered possibilities with additional off-site storage or a new home altogether.
In the meantime, Walters wants to make sure students feel welcome to ask for help. An estimated 62% of students at USU experience some kind of food insecurity, according to an assessment taken during the 2023-2024 school year. At the same time, the food pantry only serves under 30% of the student population.
"We have students that come in pretty much every day where it's their first time to come in, and you can tell they really don't want to be here," Walters said.
He added that USU is not alone in its challenges with hunger. He said anyone who wants to help should reach out to the community or campus pantry nearest to them.
Every university has a pantry here in Utah. And they all can use the support," he said.
