Opinion | Food Recovery Network fights food insecurity at Chapman

Jessica Zhang, junior public relations and advertising and strategic and corporate communication double major

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food insecurity is defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food insecurity is an issue that is often discussed but difficult to address tangibly in local communities. In college culture, you frequently hear about students living off instant ramen and fast food because they can’t cook or can’t afford other food. Many national organizations, like “Meals on Wheels” and “Feeding America,” often primarily help underserved children, families and the elderly. Few, in my experience, view college students as an important demographic.

It’s a known fact that college students are generally broke (hence student discounts), so why hasn’t there been more targeted efforts to address food insecurity on college campuses? When we really look past the broke college student jokes and consider food insecurity, there’s a clear stigma. When people are required to label themselves as food-insecure to receive help, it tends to prevent those who need resources from accessing them. 

Mutual aid initiatives such as community gardens, pantries and fridges have become more widely implemented as a way to help people cope with food insecurity — without the stigma. Framing these programs as a resource accessible to everyone, rather than charity, is one way to destigmatize food insecurity. Chapman’s food pantry located in Morlan Hall has been a welcomed attempt at addressing the needs of food-insecure students, but lacked sufficient resources to offer things that weren’t shelf-stable or needed refrigeration. While the usefulness of canned and dry goods is undeniable, access to fresh produce is essential for those dealing with food insecurity.

Food Recovery Network (FRN) is a national organization with chapters at colleges and universities across the country, dedicated to reducing food waste by rescuing perfectly fine food that would typically be thrown out rather than donated. At Chapman’s chapter, we’ve partnered with the Orange Home Grown farmer’s market, whose vendors have been incredibly generous with their donations. We’re proud to offer fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs, bread and even pastries to the Chapman community. 

Located at 337 N. Lemon St., the Chapman FRN food pantry pop-up is open to anyone in the Chapman community every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. The next day, all food is donated to Mary’s Kitchen to ensure that nothing is wasted. FRN is always looking for more volunteers to assist with club operations and food recoveries. Interested students can get involved by attending club meetings (starting again in the fall) and staying updated on our Instagram, @chapmanufrn.