By Dana Hirsch

On Wednesday afternoon, the mobile food pantry was on-campus and providing food to students in need. The pantry plans on visiting campus once a month this semester to help fight food insecurity in the Purchase community.
According to an email to the campus community by Dilenny Diaz, the food pantry supervisor, “The Mobile Food Pantry will be set out in a manner similar to a farmer’s market, with a table display. Our Mobile Food Pantry will utilize a ‘client choice’ model for those who may want to select food from the site.”
As with the on-campus food pantry, according to Diaz, there will be a limit on how many items per category individuals may take, depending on the availability of items.
The Mobile Food Pantry usually visits once a month and brings fresh protein, dairy, produce, and grains directly to campus to assist all members of the campus community. An estimated 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of food will be available at the Mobile Food Pantry.
The email states that any food “that is left from the Mobile Food Pantry will be brought to the on-campus food pantry that is OPEN and available this semester (No Appointments needed).” The on-campus food pantry hours for the Fall 2021 semester are: Monday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Wednesday 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., Thursday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., and Friday 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
According to Patricia Bice, Dean of Student Affairs, students have to show their student ID upon entering the food pantry to verify their student status, but otherwise, the service is anonymous and confidential.
The food pantry is located through the Learning Center, which is on the lower level of the Library. It can be accessed through the last room on the left in the Learning Center suite. Food pantry staff will be available to help students with any questions they may have about accessing this service.

National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness data shows that 44% of college students cut the size of their meals or skipped meals because there wasn’t enough money for food. 15% of those students lost weight because there wasn’t enough money for food, and 20% did not eat for a whole day because there wasn’t enough money for food.
For more information, students can visit the food pantry website, follow their Instagram, or email supervisor Dilenny Diaz at dilenny.diaz@purchase.edu.
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