Making sure no Huskies go hungry - that’s the goal of a new initiative at each of UConn's regional campuses.
UConn's Avery Point campus opened its “Husky Harvest” food pantry Wednesday which is now available for all students, teachers and staff.
Food insecurity is an ongoing problem in Connecticut and to address that issue on some college campuses, Connecticut Foodshare has partnered with UConn.
Avery Point is the third of four food pantries that are being opened on UConn's regional campuses. The first was opened in Stamford last semester and Waterbury opened earlier this week.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
The Avery Point pantry is in the Community Professional Building and will be open three days a week.
“They can come here and grab snacks to consume right away,” said Associate Campus Director Janene Vandi. “A lot of the other food in the pantry is meant for them to take home to their families and prepare.”
School officials say a recent survey indicated the need. The need is so great some students who have a set amount of money to buy meals end up running low on or completely out of funds before the semester ends.
Local
“As the semester goes on their ability to eat kind of runs out,” Vandi said. “Friends are buying other friends’ meals and such.”
The Husky Harvest initiative is a partnership with Connecticut Foodshare.
“People think that there’s no problems with poverty here in Connecticut. Absolutely, 100%, not true,” said Connecticut Foodshare President and CEO Jason Jakubowski.
Jakubowski said the issue of food insecurity exists around the country, explaining there are 700 campuses nationwide with food pantries.
“Just like a kindergartener can’t learn if you don’t provide them with food, the same is true for a college student,” Jakubowski said.
Avery Point student body president Zachery Boudah describes the pantry as surreal, recalling a time when he was food insecure.
“I saw my parents struggle to put food on the table,” he said. “They had to make sacrifices and now I see it with my peers in school.”
Watching students take advantage of the opportunity, Boudah says he was trembling, knowing all too well how critical this assistance could be for some students’ success.
“It’s really hard to focus on your studies when you’re stuck worrying about what you’re going to eat for your next meal,” Boudah said.
All four of UConn's regional campuses will eventually have one of these pantries. The one on the Hartford campus will open next week.
