Students use non-profit pantry to save money on groceries and battle food insecurity

By Cara Craton

Staff Writer

For Maddie Duda, a freshman majoring in communication studies, moving from Pennsylvania to Tennessee for school meant not only adjusting to a new environment but also taking on new responsibilities.

One of those is providing her own groceries, which has become harder after losing access to her car over Christmas break.

“It definitely can get stressful because it’s my money and I have to be careful with it so having something like Rebecca’s House takes a little bit of that stress away because it is money that I don’t have to spend, but I’m still getting nourished,” said Duda.

Rebecca’s House is a nonprofit food pantry run by Zach Church, the associate dean for student life, in partnership with Trevecca Community Church and Trevecca’s Urban Farm.

It began in September 2022 after Church attended a conference where a resident director spoke about the food pantry he started and shared statistics on college student mental health and food insecurity.

Church has observed an increased need for food security, as one-third of Trevecca students now receive Pell Grants, which are based on parental financial status. 

In addition, international students, who make up 15% of Trevecca’s student body, cannot fill out the FAFSA, according to Huey Davis, Trevecca’s director of institutional research and analytics.

This leaves many students with limited financial resources in need of food assistance.

According to NerdWallet, grocery prices have risen 31% in the past six years, making resources like Rebecca’s House invaluable to college students.

Across the nation, resources like local food pantries are offering college students a place to find provision. 

Church emphasizes the need to provide not just food, but also a safe space for students experiencing food insecurity.

“Rebecca’s House mission is really sort of twofold. One is the practical: putting food in the hands of students, and two, to try to destigmatize food insecurity on our campus. A big way we do that is to say to anybody, ‘I don’t care how much you feel like you need the food.’ Especially if you feel like you don’t need to come to Rebecca’s House,” said Church.

Carolyn Johnson, a volunteer facilitator at Trevecca, noted that the lack of nearby grocery stores complicates access to food for both students and local families.

“Food insecurity is definitely present on campus because of our proximity to a grocery store. There is no grocery store within walking distance, and that is a barrier not just to students but also to people in our neighborhood,” said Johnson.

Both Church and Johnson stressed that food insecurity exists on a spectrum.

It’s not just about those who haven’t eaten in 24 hours, but also those who must decide what to sacrifice in order to eat.

Food insecurity isn’t the only challenge college students face regarding their daily meals.

The question of whether the food they eat is nutritious and affordable is also a concern.

“I think [food insecurity is] national and has been for a really long time. You think of the stereotype of college students and ramen noodles. College students aren’t eating ramen because it’s really healthy and good for you, the reason they eat ramen is because it’s very cheap. You can get a pack of ramen for 22 cents and add hot water to it and have calorically dense food,” said Church.

This is why Johnson says places like Rebecca’s House are so beneficial to college students and the surrounding community.

In addition to providing tangible support in the way of food, it also helps to build relationships on campus.

These relationships can also provide crucial support for those struggling with hunger or food-related worries.

“For me, somebody who has to pay for their own groceries, it was like a weight lifted because I was like ‘Oh my gosh that’s like $30 that I don’t have to spend on essential things’,” said Duda. “The fact that it’s free and donated just feels very good that I’m being helped by people in the community.”