Advocating for Their Peers: Student-Driven Efforts to End Campus Food Insecurity

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• Stacey Diamond- s4carrillo@ucsd.edu

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There is a startling reality for many college students across the United States, including students at UC San Diego - they are struggling to afford food. The 2024 UC Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES) data shows that 51 percent of UC San Diego undergraduate students report facing food insecurity.

Food insecurity threatens a student's ability to thrive and fully engage in the campus community. A recent student survey by Public Health Honors Practicum students showed that food insecurity was not only associated with decreased physical health, but also decreased mental well-being and academic performance. However, campuswide efforts are underway to combat this challenge and students themselves are behind much of the outreach which is making a measurable impact.

One of the biggest tools for students struggling with food access is CalFresh, a state program that provides up to $292 a month for groceries. As May's annual CalFresh Awareness Month approaches, it's an ideal time to remind the campus community that more than 50 percent of UC San Diego students may be eligible for CalFresh, and 60 percent of students enrolled in CalFresh report receiving at least $200 a month.

The Hub Basic Needs Center on campus has an outreach team of students trained to assist their peers in both applying and navigating the CalFresh application and recertification process. They provide direct service to UC San Diego students through CalFresh drop-in hours and appointments (virtual and in-person).

Mia Jerphagnon, a fourth-year business economics student who has been working at the Basic Needs Center since 2022, says students may feel more comfortable connecting with fellow students.

When explaining why connecting with students directly is so important, Jerphagnon said, "a lot of students know about CalFresh but there are still a lot of misconceptions. When we speak with students, we can talk through any barriers that may be preventing them from applying. A lot of students may not realize they are even eligible. Or they may have the notion that others may have it worse, and they are taking away from the help others can receive. We want them to know that this is a service that they have a right to use."

Beyond raising awareness that CalFresh exists, the Basic Needs Center and many others across campus are driving two important messages: many students are eligible for CalFresh, and getting assistance with their application can increase the likelihood of being approved.

One initiative recently launched is a partnership with a student-run project. In 2024, the Center for Community Health, a unit within the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, and the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science received a UC Essential Needs Research Grant to develop a project led by undergraduate and graduate students to implement and evaluate interventions to reduce food insecurity among UC San Diego undergraduate students. The research study is titled "Testing Student-Driven Solutions to Improve Food Security at UC San Diego."

Madison Rodriguez, the project's coordinator, describes the project as a "student-driven solution to student food insecurity." She says it's "three-fold: improving the capacity of the Basic Needs Center by optimizing their online appointment system, outreach in-person and online through student group partnerships and social media campaigns and increasing the approved Local Programs that Increase Employability, or LPIEs on campus- that can increase CalFresh eligibility.

Followers of the Basic Needs Center social media accounts often see videos featuring student staff and student created designs. This echos the student-centered spirit of the Basic Needs Center. Parsa Naghshineh, the project's creative lead, has worked with the Basic Needs Center to create informative designs for new CalFresh information.

Social media messaging is also a way to cut through the flooded email inboxes of students. Naghshineh created a social media campaign reassuring students that CalFresh Benefits have not been impacted by the Federal Aid "Freeze."

In an effort to expand student eligibility for CalFresh, Master of Public Health student Mia Thomas worked to increase the number of academic programs at UC San Diego that qualify as an LPIE and spread awareness among the programs' students and faculty. She is also developing an LPIE submission guide to share best practices with other UC campuses.

Students enrolled in an approved LPIE meet the student work exception, one of the requirements for CalFresh eligibility. Since January 2025, 81 programs have been submitted for LPIE designation, 55 have been approved, and 25 are pending approval. The full list of UC San Diego LPIE Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral programs can be found on the Basic Needs website.

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Food insecurity continues to be a challenge for college students nationwide and will likely continue to grow as the cost-of-living increases, including rising housing costs. There also continues to be a large gap between the number of students eligible for CalFresh and the number of students applying for CalFresh, as well as the number being approved for CalFresh, according to research from Professor Nancy Binkin and students at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science.

However, there is a robust community on campus that is passionate about connecting students to valuable food security resources such as CalFresh. Through their efforts, more students are being connected to CalFresh. The Basic Needs Center reports a 12 percent increase in the number of approved CalFresh student recipients within the last year.

As student food insecurity continues, so will the need to educate students about CalFresh and other resources. And with every new group of students, a new audience arrives that may not know how to navigate food insecurity while also navigating their new university environment. <_o3a_p>

At tabling events, through student organizations, and at the student-run Triton Food pantry, they will meet students who can tell them about CalFresh and other essential resources on campus. But this work is too important for these students, the Basic Needs Center, or any one initiative to tackle alone.

The entire Triton community is encouraged to support these efforts. Some ways faculty can support food security work is to include information about CalFresh and food security in class syllabi, class Canvas pages, and classroom slides. Administrators and staff are also encouraged to share links to food security initiatives and support programs in staff meetings and trainings.