An expanded ASI Food Pantry in the University Union will provide greater service for the campus community. (Sacramento State/Jessica Vernone)

It took volunteers awhile to stock shelves in the new, expanded Associated Students Inc. (ASI) Food Pantry, but the groceries – all 6,000 pounds of them – are there: peanut butter, pasta, marinara sauce, soup, rice, crackers, tuna, black beans, mac and cheese, and more.

The pantry, in the larger, remodeled University Union, is half of Sacramento State’s new one-stop shop for students’ basic needs. A few steps away is the CARES (Crisis Assistance & Resource Education Support) Office, home to the campus case manager, Danielle Muñoz, and student emergency services.

Grand opening ceremonies for both venues is at 11:30 a.m. Monday, April 22, along the brick pathway on north side of the University Union. It’s where students will find the front door to their basic needs services, discreetly apart from Union’s hustle and bustle.

“We want to reduce the stigma for students,” said Reuben Greenwald, ASI’s director of Student Engagement & Outreach. “They can make a quick entrance and exit to the Food Pantry and stop by the CARES Office to get help with CalFresh,” Greenwald said, referring to the federal program that provides qualified individuals with monthly cash benefits to purchase groceries.

Speakers at thegrand opening will include University President Robert S. Nelsen and his wife, Jody; ASI President Noel Mora; and Mia Kagianas, president of the Cal State Student Association and ASI past president.

The new Food Pantry is three times larger than the original facility in Yosemite Hall, has twice the number of shelving units and, for the first time, has a commercial-size refrigerator for storing produce and other perishables.

The more spacious pantry debuts at a critical time, Greenwald said.

“We are seeing an 80 percent increase in users this year over last year, and we’re feeding more than 9,000 people, which includes family members that students share their food with,” he said. “Most likely, with the new location and the connection to CARES, we may even see a 50 percent increase over the 80 percent we’re currently seeing.”

The pantry is open five days a week throughout the academic year and will be open this summer.

Students with a valid Sac State OneCard may visit the pantry weekly and spend up to 16 points on food and toiletries. A three-point item, for instance, could be a box of cereal or a package of pasta that will last for a few days. A one-meal item, such as canned soup, is two points, and snacks and side dishes, including crackers and canned tuna, are one point each. Fresh produce does not count against the 16-point allotment.

ASI buys groceries at a deep discount from Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). Donor funds are used exclusively for food, with ASI’s operational budget paying for food, rent, staffing, and other necessities.

In addition to the popular Food Pantry, ASI operates the outdoor Pop-Up Pantry to give students regular access to fresh produce. It’s open two or three times a month, in partnership with the Central Downtown Food Basket and SFBFS.

The spacious new CARES Office supports students who are in crisis or experiencing insecurities with their food, housing, and financial needs.

“Being next to the pantry will decrease any stigma students might have about dropping in,” said Muñoz, who previously helped students from a tiny office atop Lassen Hall. “And with a centralized location for services, it becomes normalized: Get coffee, meet friends for lunch, visit the Food Pantry, and come into CARES to sign up for CalFresh.”

Other services include helping students who need emergency housing or have a financial emergency, such as car trouble, that might cause them to consider dropping out. A new bank of lockers and mailboxes and a refrigerator in the CARES Office will be important to students who live in cars, on the streets, or in a shelter.

Muñoz said the CARES/Food Pantry collaboration is designed to meet students where they are.

“Stable housing and regular access to healthy meals is essential to academic success and overall wellness, and yet so many students struggle with basic needs challenges that can be academically disruptive,” Muñoz said.

“We offer a space that is easily accessible, warm, and welcoming, and that focuses on meeting their basic needs so that students can return their energy and focus on a timely graduation and a successful future.” – Dixie Reid