CORRECTION [11/8/2024, 2:43 p.m.]: A previous version of this article stated that Crystal Bach is the new A.S. Food Bank coordinator, this article has been corrected to reflect that Bach is the interim coordinator for the A.S. Food Bank.

In 2023, 43% of undergraduate students reported experiencing food insecurity at UC Santa Barbara, which means they don’t have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food, according to an Associated Students Basic Needs survey. 

The bank accepts donations of non-perishable food items in particular; preferably those which are unopened and still labeled such as canned goods, rice, packaged snacks and broth. Nexus file photo

Crystal Bach, the new interim coordinator for the Associated Students (A.S.) Food Bank, has plans to expand the food bank’s outreach and accessibility to students who may not be located directly on campus, while also focusing on working with other organizations on campus, such as A.S. Senate, to expand programs and gain greater funding and donations. She previously worked as a student assistant and held multiple student leadership positions at UCSB from June 2022 to 2024. 

Food insecurity among college students rose rapidly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Food insecurity on campus has increased from 30% in 2018 to 57% in 2022, according to statistics from the Daily Nexus. 

Research indicates that food-insecure students are more likely to have a lower GPA as compared to their non food-insecure peers. They are also more likely to have poor mental health. Food insecurity impacts nearly 63% of college students receiving financial aid, a 2023 survey by the California Student Aid Commission indicated.

At UCSB, the A.S. Food Bank is one of the only basic needs resources available for any currently enrolled students on campus, regardless of financial aid status. The requirements necessary to be eligible include having a self-declared income below $17,130 excluding financial aid, scholarships, family income, spousal income, TA-ships and fellowships . It currently provides produce, pantry staples, snacks and toiletries such as single-use products, menstrual products, sexual health products and contraceptives. The bank also has an online ordering service for students with dependents and provides baby formula, infant and baby food, diapers and baby wipes. 

The bank accepts donations of non-perishable food items in particular, preferably those which are unopened and still labeled such as canned goods, rice, packaged snacks and  broth. They also accept unopened toiletries, such as toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner and laundry detergent. 

Bach commented on rates of A.S. Food Bank enrollment, stating that about 25% of the student population are registered as clients of the food bank, but she estimates that this number is not truly reflective of the percentage of students on campus facing food insecurity. Statistics from the National Library of Medicine estimate the average rate of food insecurity on college campuses in the United States is between 19-56%.

Major goals of the A.S Food Bank this year are to combat stigma around seeking its services and to expand outreach to those who are still hesitant. By focusing on these goals, Bach aims to reach those who are food insecure but do not access the food bank’s resources due to a lack of accessibility or fear of stigma. 

“I have friends that are by definition food insecure but hesitate to come in, so I can only imagine how many other people do not come,” Bach said. 

 The bank is working to expand its funding as well, reaching out to student, community and faculty donors and other organizations such as A.S. Senate so they can grow along with the needs on campus, Bach said.

“We see the rates of college food insecurity are almost triple the national average, and I feel a lot of that comes from students finding themselves in a situation where they are financially independent for the first time, and not only that but responsible for meeting their own nutritional needs for the first time,” Bach said. 

“I have always had an interest in food justice, and food systems. I’m from Oakland, California, and the area I am from faces a lot of food apartheid,” Bach said.

Food apartheid is a system of segregation which describes systemic divisions in access to nutritious food, based on class, race, and geography.

“Growing up in Oakland I was involved with some community organizations that did similar work as the Food Bank, which led me to seek it out as something to pursue as a job, and to find community here,” Bach said.

This year, the food bank is expanding its outreach to groups who are not directly on campus. She states this will mainly be done through proposed programs such as the mobile food pantry. This program was proposed last year to the A.S. Senate with the idea to bring the food pantry directly to people by utilizing a customized vehicle to bring the pantry to different areas around campus or Isla Vista.

The expansion of the Online Order Bags is another proposed program which would build off the existing online ordering system that the A.S. Food Bank has already established, which would allow students to order food online and have it delivered to them, making the food bank more accessible to those off campus as well as students with disabilities, Bach said.

“Our main focus is expanding our reach to new client groups, and also improving our current access. Things like the mobile food pantry will help us reach groups that are a bit farther from the campus. We also want to work on introducing a delivery system to our online orders to increase accessibility to those with disabilities, or students who do not feel comfortable visiting themselves,” Bach said.

She also said that the more people who use the food bank’s services, the greater their ability to get more funding and expand its services will be. The food bank is mainly funded through student fees, which account for 85% of its $697,631.00 budget as of the 2024-25 school year. 

Bach said more funds will allow them to expand the items they are able to offer, and cater to dietary needs and restrictions. 

“We saw a big increase post-COVID of clients that visited and we were able to increase our lock-in fee two years ago, but it is still growing so we want to keep increasing it,” Bach said. 

There are several existing programs the A.S. Food Bank is looking to expand, and others that are being proposed for the future. A pilot program for meal swipe rollover began this quarter, where a select number of students can donate their leftover meal swipes to the food bank via the campus dining app. The food bank also has a vending machine program that provides ready-made meals to those who apply for the program through the Financial Crisis Response Team. However, the A.S. Food Bank has recently been unable to stock the machines with their usual items due to vendor issues. 

There are also snack stations provided by the A.S. Food Bank throughout campus located at the Food Security and Basic Needs Advising Center, Transfer Student Center, Resource Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity, Educational Opportunity Program, Health & Wellness, Office of Black Student Development Center and Pardall Center, among others. 

She said student feedback is a significant avenue to understanding the items and services those in the community are in need of. Although it is already possible to give feedback to the organization through email or social media messages, they are also hoping to create an anonymous form.

“Our continuing goal is looking to ensure through student feedback that we are meeting the needs of our students and the community as a whole with our services,” Bach said.

A version of this article appeared on p. 4 of the Oct. 17, 2024 edition of the Daily Nexus.