Food insecurity in Tucson: on campus and throughout the community

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Talks in the United States are currently centered around food. Where to get it, how to cook it, and whether it’s affordable are part of Thanksgiving prep, especially as inflation affects prices in the market.

How available these foods are, or how easily accessible they are, depends on a spectrum of food security, and food insecurity can vary for each person. For some, there is a lack of money to buy food or transportation to get to the grocery store, or maybe there is no local store.

According to the University of Arizona’s State of the Tucson Food System Report, as of August 2020, 32% of households in the state were food insecure, while 57% of Hispanics and 25% of those the report identified as “others” were food insecure was.

Bridgette Nobbe of the UA’s Campus Pantry said she caters for about 3,000 people a year, but that about 13,000 students could be considered unsafe.

“We don’t even touch what we could be and we have the money and the ability to support you, so just come on,” Nobbe said.

She said that since the pantry is open to the entire campus community, about a third of those entering are staff.

When someone walks in, they swipe their university ID and shop using the pantry’s point system – and everyone with a CatCard has points. Some items, such as eggs or pasta, have a point, while cans of black beans and corn have a half point. During the school year she said people have 4 points to mix and match with.

Nobbe said unlike some community or federally funded boards, the campus pantry doesn’t require users to be U.S. residents. It is open to International and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA students.

“We see people come three times a week and all get their points,” said Nobbe. “We also see that some people only come on Tuesdays and get half a liter of milk and a box of cereal because that might be all they need for the week.”

This story first aired on The Buzz, an interview-focused show designed to provide listeners in southern Arizona with a deeper understanding of news, politics, science, current affairs, and more.

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