Campus Food Pantry Student Clients' Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Stress and Coping in Higher Education

Abstract

To combat food insecurity among students, several colleges/universities have established campus food pantries as part of their intervention plans. However, many of these pantries ceased operation due to COVID-19 campus shutdowns. To uncover the short-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the student clients of a university food pantry and these students’ initial coping strategies to get through the pandemic, I constructed a purposeful sample of 12 postsecondary students using a university-provided food pantry. The thematic analysis of interview data revealed that many students experienced immediate impacts of the pandemic, including income loss, self-isolation, anxiety, and eating less. Students came up with various coping strategies, such as seeking help from family or friends, using available resources, and cooking.

Author

• Elmira Jangjou, University of Iowa