The most recent in a series of blog posts from the front lines of hunger relief with Woody Smith.
Trapped. That’s how many of us feel. We want to go somewhere. Anywhere really. Not being able to see family and friends can add an extra layer of gloom to the confinement created by this pandemic. For those with loved ones that are long distances away, the challenge of getting back together only adds another layer.
The University of California Irvine started this past school year with more than 36,000 students. When COVID-19 showed up, most went home to be with their families while waiting to find out what their academic futures would hold. But 5,000 of them are still on campus. Some are graduate students who live in on-campus student housing with their young families and some are international students not able to travel home. Many of these students have been impacted financially by the pandemic and find themselves in need of food assistance.
Whatever the situation that keeps students on campus and struggling to feed themselves, the Fresh Basic Needs Hub at UCI remains open to serve them, supported by food from Second Harvest. Student hunger is a serious challenge, made even worse by the pandemic, but Fresh, as it’s called, has the mission to provide for the basic needs of UCI students, allowing them to focus on academics.
Andrea is the Director of the Fresh Basic Needs Hub and is committed to caring for the students who come to Fresh for help. Along with food and toiletries, Andrea is now also able to give students vouchers that can be redeemed at a local produce market, supplementing the food that Fresh provides.
But it’s not just food the Fresh team gives to students, it’s also hope and dignity. Andrea explains, “Our commitment is really to care for them and to make sure that they know there is somewhere they can seek support and they will receive it, without judgment. We are coming from a place of saying we honor you and we want you to have a dignified experience even though times are tough right now.”
Before working in food distribution, I had no idea there was a need for food pantries on college campuses, but studies conducted last year revealed that up to 40% of students have experienced food insecurity. For that reason, Second Harvest supports nine college pantries in Orange County. Many college students are committed to making a better future for themselves and go so far as to neglect their basic needs to pay for tuition and books.
But at Fresh, and all the other college pantries we support, the goal is to give food in a manner that says, “I see you, and it’s a privilege to serve you because your life matters.” By providing food – and hope – Fresh and Second Harvest gives students a chance to be successful.
Last week did not feel hopeful. Seeing the injustice of the past few days makes me cringe. It causes me to grieve when I see people treated unfairly or worse. But I’m choosing to move forward with hope. How can I have hope this week? Because I know Andrea and I see how she treats people who sometimes feel trapped. The team at Fresh, and all the other college pantries in Orange County serve as a lifeline for their students, providing for basic needs and offering a dignified experience for everyone who comes to them for help. Their service is a beacon of hope in the darkness.
As I sip my coffee, I think of the quote by Andy Stanley that says, “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.” We all have the opportunity to make one person’s life better and doing so may even make our own lives better.
Wishing you hope this week. Let’s do our best to make one another’s lives just a little better – one kindness at a time.
Jill Wilson decided to volunteer with Second Harvest in 2008 when she was in between jobs and looking for a way to apply her talents that could benefit the community. She arrived one day at Second Harvest’s former distribution center in Orange, ready to serve, and felt immediately connected to the mission.
Like Jill and Ian, other friends of the food bank may be looking for ways to connect meaningfully with Second Harvest to help those experiencing hunger in Orange County for years to come. One simple way to make a significant impact, while achieving peace of mind, is by creating a will or revocable living trust with our partner, FreeWill.
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual awareness campaign that encourages us to learn about nutrition, develop healthy eating habits and discover the fun of being physically active. At Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, we strive to provide everyone in Orange County with the nutrition they need to grow and excel in life.
Last spring, here at Second Harvest we completely revamped our focus to proactively purchase fresh nutrition for those in need, ensuring a steady pipeline of protein, dairy, eggs, fruits and vegetables to our approximately 300 partner and program sites. As a next step, we recently unveiled our new, 6,200-square-foot cold storage facility and two additional cold docks that establish a “cold chain” at our distribution center in Irvine. This gives us a total of 14,550 square feet of cold storage, which greatly enhances our ability to source and distribute more nutritious food.
Second Harvest continues to fight increasing food insecurity through our Pop-Up Drive Thru food distributions with the help of many amazing volunteers and it is no surprise that many of them are mothers. Jacqueline is one such volunteer and I wanted to learn more of her story.
here to volunteer representing other mothers…to give back to the community, to be a role model to my children. As a mother, as a woman, as a friend, as a wife…you have so many hats you have to put on and one of them is giving. When I go home my daughter asks me, “Mom what did you do today?” And I say, “I got to give back to people, people that really don’t have as much as we do.” Hopefully she sees me doing this and then as she gets older, she’ll want to give back just the same way.”
Pantry. Their style traditionally has always been very welcoming and focused on building relationships with those they serve. They would put out coffee and pastries and spend time talking with the families who would come early just to socialize.
One of Nancy’s key volunteers, Mary Kaye, also shared insights. Mary Kaye is an emergency room doctor who has been spending much of her spare time serving at the Saint Timothy pantry. She began volunteering pre-COVID by taking blood pressures on pantry days and translating for Spanish-speaking clients.. All the changes have her missing conversations and connecting with the families they serve.
can take your blood pressure soon,” and encouraging them.”
redirected those emotions toward survival and humility. While it was a very difficult decision, Stephen and Kristina decided that in order to make it through this crisis, they would need to receive assistance the first time in their lives. This is what it means to be newly vulnerable.