| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 86.87 |
| Liaison | Carrie Metzgar |
| Submission Date | Nov. 5, 2024 |
University of California, San Diego
IN-14: Food Bank
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Carrie
Metzgar Campus Sustainability Officer Utilities & Sustainability |
Does the institution host a food bank, pantry, or equivalent resource focused on alleviating food insecurity, hunger and poverty among students?:
A brief description of the food bank, pantry, or equivalent resource:
The Triton Food Pantry (https://basicneeds.ucsd.edu/food-security/pantry/index.html) is a resource provided and operated through UC San Diego Basic Needs Initiatives (https://basicneeds.ucsd.edu/about/index.html). The Triton Food Pantry was established in order to take direct action and increase food security for UC San Diego undergraduate and graduate students.
The Triton Food Pantry is in partnership with the San Diego Food Bank and Garden of Eden. A variety of dried goods, canned goods, and fresh produce are available to students. Several campus community gardens also donate fresh produce to the food pantry. Items are assigned a point value and any registered student is able to pick up 15 points worth of food per week. The food pantry provides a range of services including care packages, emergency food relief, basic needs events, & various pop-up locations on campus.
In addition to the Triton Food Pantry, there are several additional campus programs and initiatives aimed at alleviating food insecurity for students:
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CalFresh (https://basicneeds.ucsd.edu/food-security/calfresh/index.html): CalFresh is California's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that awards those who are eligible with monthly grocery benefits based on individual need to help supplement their food budget and buy food. These benefits can be used at many grocery stores and campus markets.
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Grocery Shuttle (https://basicneeds.ucsd.edu/food-security/grocery-shuttle/index.html): Free program offered in partnership by Basic Needs, Associated Students (A.S.) and Transportation to improve accessibility of food security resources. The grocery shuttle takes undergraduate and graduate students to local grocery stores & shopping centers to serve as a resource to access culturally reflective nourishing food.
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Affordable Grocery Store Map (https://basicneeds.ucsd.edu/food-security/map/index.html): Online map showing grocery stores in San Diego, color-coded by cost. The map also includes public transit options and Grocery Shuttle stops.
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Food Recovery Network (https://basicneeds.ucsd.edu/food-security/recovery/index.html): UC San Diego student chapter that works on and off-campus to recover food waste from dining halls, Farmer's Markets, and grocery stores. In 2022-2023, over 55,000lbs of food waste was recovered. This is equivalent to over 46,000 meals.
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Food Notification App (https://basicneeds.ucsd.edu/food-security/app/index.html): Available through the UC San Diego App, the food notification feature allows departments to send notifications to students when leftover food from events is available.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The Triton Food Pantry maintains an active Instagram page, providing students with resources and up-to-date information: https://www.instagram.com/tritonfoodpantry/?hl=en
Point of contact for credit information:
Carrie Metzgar, Campus Sustainability Officer, Utilities & Sustainability
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.