When a person's stomach growls in the morning, the first thing they may do is head to the pantry to find something to eat. Something that seems so simple, such as a bowl of oatmeal, cereal or even a banana, could be a luxury to someone else, and they may not even realize it.
According to Feeding America, food insecurity is described as when "people can’t access the food they need to live their fullest lives." In the state of South Carolina, one in eight people face hunger. More than 670,000 people in South Carolina deal with food insecurity, according to Feeding America.
Food insecurity is prevalent in the Columbia community. Students should be more aware of these areas and educate themselves on the specific issues that cause food insecurity to diminish their own biases, reducing the stigma that surrounds the issue in the process.
Fourth-year public health student Charlotte Bostick is the executive director of the Gamecock CommUnity Shop, an on-campus shop where students can get free clothes, food and other items they may need.
“Bringing awareness to it oftentimes brings a negative light towards it because then people feel insecure," Bostick said.
This stigma exists due to several social and structural causes including policies relating to food and even school lunch environments. A vital example of this is neighborhood infrastructure, which is what type of grocery stores and restaurants are in a given community.
According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, low-income areas are more likely to have more fast food restaurants and fewer chain grocery stores, resulting in limited food resources since getting affordable and nutritious food may be more difficult.
Some people may think that needing extra assistance when getting nutritious and affordable food is a bad thing, causing those dealing with food insecurity to be more embarrassed of their situation.
Students can change this by focusing on what causes food insecurity and by educating themselves about on-campus initiatives. Ending the stigma can also change how the student body views food costs, which is vital in understanding how food insecurity starts.
According to Move For Hunger, an organization that aims to reduce food waste and fight hunger, 30% of college students nationwide report food insecurity. Food insecurity is an issue that college students face, and they may also have to battle the stigma that comes with it.
“We should not so much be talking about students that are insecure, but the things that are making food insecurity happen within society,” Bostick said.
A contributing factor to food insecurity in Columbia is food deserts.
The United States Department of Agriculture describes a food desert as an area where people have limited access to a variety of healthy and affordable food. Transportation may make it difficult or even impossible for individuals to access groceries.
According to Harvest Hope, 13.5 million Americans live in a food desert. Moreover, a map by The South Carolina Department of Public Health shows that the city of Columbia has more than 10 of these deserts in the surrounding area.
According to Harvest Hope, food deserts are created when businesses leave a community, typically because the area is deemed less profitable and has a lower likelihood of the business being able to do well.
A city's low population density and few available jobs influence these decisions, excluding parts of the population from having access to food. Harvest Hope continues to call attention to this issue by writing that in urban areas, one-third of the population is at least one mile from a grocery store. In rural areas, a majority of people may be 10 or more miles away. This begs the question: How can USC students make a difference in helping out their community?
Even if grocery stores are in the area, it doesn't mean they are easy to get to. A lack of reliable and safe transportation may contribute to food insecurity. A lack of transportation is another factor that can contribute to food insecurity amongst individuals. There may be areas where travel to a grocery store is difficult due to distance.
Even after finding transportation to the store, people may be limited on what they can buy due to an increase in prices.
"Food is expensive," Bostick said. "There is inflation. Everything is expensive."
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, inflation was up 2.5%, from August 2023 to 2024. An inflated economy directly impacts grocery costs for Americans since they have to pay more to eat, including college students. This is evident in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food price outlooks that state prices are expected to lower in 2024. Yet, these numbers are only for three categories, as 12 food-at-home categories are predicted to increase in cost, including eggs and vegetables.
An out-of-state USC student without any loans or aid pays a little over $53,000 to the university each year. Some students might be paying for college on their own. Inflated groceries add another variable cost to a student who is already paying tens of thousands of dollars.
Meal plans are also costly. The cheapest meal plan at USC is a little over $5,000 yearly. According to Move for Hunger, students who face food insecurity may have to make financial decisions that may lead to setbacks in achieving their academic goals.
In the spring of 2019, USC's Student Government partnered with Aramark to create the program Swipe Out Hunger. The initiative aids its participants by giving them meal swipes that were donated by other students. This is a great way for students to give back to the campus community. Donating one or two meal swipes means feeding another student.
USC's Student Government also established the CommUnity Shop, which houses the Carolina Pantry, in the Carolina Colosseum. Bostick said the pantry was brought to campus in 2014 when Student Government realized there was a need for food on campus for USC's students.
According to Bostick, one of the best ways to support the shop is to be open-minded. Bringing awareness to the shop itself is important, and getting involved may be able to aid that fact.
If more people on campus know about it, then more people may use it. This will help break the stigma that lies behind food security. If a student is initially scared or embarrassed to use the shop but sees other students going, then they may be more likely to go themselves.
Another way to keep the CommUnity shop going is by donating unused, unopened and unexpired food items.
“There's really not so much that an individual student can do obviously, but one donation can make a difference in another student’s life," Bostick said.
A donation bin sits outside the shop, and volunteers can accept donations during all hours. Donating is important. These are the foods that students may be using to feed themselves.
Donations are available online through the shop's Amazon Wish List. If one can't donate food, financial gifts are also accepted.
When donating, one should give a wide variety of food items. One of the most commonly donated items at the pantry is soup, Bostick said.
Eating the same thing over and over again can get repetitive. For some, the shop may be their only way of getting groceries consistently. Having a variety of items can make their experience better since they won't have to rely on eating cans of soup for every meal.
If a student chooses to donate, it is important to consider nonperishable items they would typically want to eat in a day. This includes boxed macaroni and cheese, instant mashed potatoes and even popular snack foods such as crackers.
Students interested in volunteering at the shop can do so through the Leadership and Service Center. This is a great way to get involved and give back to the community. It is a great opportunity for students to see how hunger affects our campus.
"Think about if you were a student and you were hungry, you wouldn't want to eat soup and green beans for every meal," Bostick said.
Food insecurity is prevalent in the Columbia area and so is the stigma around it. It is deeply rooted in our society and even our campus. By placing an emphasis on the issues that cause hunger and by better understanding how to support initiatives designed to combat food insecurity at USC, students can change this stigma.
The CommUnity Shop is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays. The shop is available to all students, faculty and staff with a CarolinaCard.
College can be hard, and it's okay for students to need a little extra help.