On a cloudy Tuesday afternoon just before 3 p.m., a group of students lined up at the EMU amphitheater. They waited for the start of the Produce Drop, a bimonthly event that provides free food — usually fruits and vegetables — to students who struggle with food insecurity.
About 36% of students at the University of Oregon struggle with food insecurity, according to a report by the Hope Center at Temple University, which researches how social policies affect university students.
Alice Morrison, food security coordinator for Student Sustainability Center, which organizes the food drop, said that the reason that so many students struggle with food is because of how expensive it is to attend the university.
“That [food insecurity] could be linked to rising housing costs in Eugene, cost of living increases, as well as tuition costs increasing,” Morrison said. ”It’s just more expensive to be a student than it has been in the past, and food tends to be the thing where the budget can just be squashed and squashed until there’s not a lot left.”
The Produce Drop served 160 people and handed out almost 1,100 pounds of food on Nov. 12. Any student who self-identifies as meeting the need can bring their student ID and a bag to take as much food as they feel like they can use.
Momo Wilms-Crowe, a senior at the UO, said she struggles with food insecurity. She said the produce drop is one of her favorite programs and wants the reality of food insecurity to be more accepted.
“I think we’re under this impression that dominantly college students eat ramen and that’s fine,” Wilms-Crowe said. “It’s become kind of a trope, but also it’s based in a lot of reality, and I think we shouldn’t accept that it’s fine that students are surviving off of ramen.”
The stigmatization of food insecurity could be one of the biggest factors. According to the Hope Center study, out of the over one-third of students who struggle with food insecurity, only 15% of them received public assistance.
“Being hungry holds you back a lot,” Morrison said. “It’s often something people have to suffer through in silence because of the stigma associated with food insecurity.”
Food insecurity can also look like more than hunger, Morrison said. It could be a student skipping meals to afford a textbook or leaving a lecture early to go to the student food pantry.
“It can be very difficult to admit you’re having trouble finding enough to eat. There’s also a huge social stigma around seeking resources around that,” Morrison said. “We try to make it into a fun atmosphere where people feel comfortable reaching these services.”
The produce drop is held in the amphitheater to fight that stigma. The visibility and farmer’s market-style setup is intended to show students that it is okay to seek help.
“Its showing that any student can and should take advantage of it who has the need,” Wilms-Crowe said.
The Produce Drop is held on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, from 3-5 p.m. All students are welcome.
