• 5 ways Baylor helps students fighting food insecurity

    Inside The Store on Baylor's campus

    Long-running jokes about college life center around living off ramen noodles and cheap food, and never passing up a free meal. Unfortunately, such jokes mask a hard truth — that college students are two to four times as likely as the average American to experience food insecurity. Students at universities nationwide — yes, even at Baylor — are experiencing these issues.

    The most recent data suggests that more than 10% of Baylor students are experiencing some form of food insecurity. Of these students, more than half are employed, and three-quarters have financial aid — yet they still don’t have reliable access to nutritious food.

    In response, Baylor Student Success Initiatives has taken steps to alleviate this stress for BU students. Here are 5 ways Baylor works to help students access nourishing food:

    * The Store This student food pantry, located in the Sid Richardson Building, provides students with supplemental food so each Bear has the strongest likelihood of success. The Store is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Because we’re often asked: There are a wide variety of ways to support The Store, from online donations to gifts of food and time.)

    * The Fridge A supplement to The Store, The Fridge provides students with quick, free snacks and healthy meals through a series of fridges and snack bars kept stocked across campus. Locations and hours can be found here.

    * Baylor Free Farmer’s Market Every semester, Baylor hosts a free farmer’s market, where students can grab a full load of excellent groceries free of cost. This event aims to combine food distribution with efforts to raise awareness about hunger, nutrition, wellness, and more.

    * SNAP Application Assistance Some Baylor students are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a federal effort that helps low-income individuals buy the food they need for good health. Trained Baylor staff can help students who qualify apply for benefits.

    * Share a Meal The Bear Swipe Share program allows students with meal plans to share their unused meal swipes with their peers. Students can donate extra meal swipes to the Bear Swipe Share at any Baylor dining hall; those meals are then passed to students in need.

    Baylor wants to make sure that access to nourishing food is not a hindrance to our students. Want to join in the effort? Here’s how you can help.

    Sic ’em, Bears!