The University of South Florida’s Feed-A-Bull food pantry provides free and easy access to food and personal hygiene items for students on campus. It opened in September 2015 when Director Katie Webster partnered with Student Health Services and the food bank Feeding Tampa Bay.
A persistent and notable problem, food insecurity affects an estimated 42 percent of college students, according to the National College Health Assessment Spring 2022 summary.
“I’m a registered dietician, so I provide nutrition counseling for students at our student health clinic, and it started to become noticeable that sometimes what I would be recommending, for example, even for food or for recommended meals, students weren’t able to afford it,” said Webster.
The Stats
Due to the lasting effects of the pandemic and rising food costs, Feed-A-Bull provides for an average of 100 students per week and has become more vital than ever. When comparing numbers from Fall 2021 to Fall 2022, the pantry has seen a 350 percent increase in utilization.
“I think there are a lot of different factors that are increasing that utilization. I mean, one obvious one is that times are a little bit tougher right now, just in general across the board; I mean, everyone is struggling, college students are not omitted from that category,” Webster said.
How it Works
The food pantry is designed for ease of use for students, who have the option to visit once per week. Currently enrolled USF Bulls may choose to browse the pantry or order online for pick-up. Food selections are broken up by food groups, and students can choose from each category to make sure their nutritional needs are being met.
Donations flow in from a variety of sources, including the ongoing partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay every two weeks, deliveries from Publix once a month and donations from both those within the USF community and those outside of it.
Providing students with an easily accessible pantry helps to ensure that students feel comfortable, whether visiting either in person or ordering online. Student Outreach and Support makes contact with students who frequent the pantry to ensure they are supported and are receiving the help they need in other aspects of their lives.
“We vary the hours from day to day just to make sure whoever has classes, that doesn’t impact or stop them from coming to the food bank,” said Genevieve Carcano, a volunteer at Feed-A-Bull. “And then, of course, there’s no real requirements to go in there. You just have to be a student and say you’re in need of some food. And once again, we don’t judge.”
Where to Go
Feed-A-Bull can be found on the main USF campus in the Student Services Building basement. For students not near the Tampa campus, both the Sarasota-Manatee and St. Petersburg campuses offer pantries as well, allowing students to both shop and order confidentially.
“People always feel that they can come to us, and we’ll just greet them with a smile and send them on their way,” said Carcano.
