I met Meloy, a third-year political science major at the UO, through a mutual friend who suggested I interview her for a class assignment. Along with her role at the SSC, she previously served as president of UO College Democrats and vice president of the Associated Students of the UO Senate. Most of her work with each organization focused on providing basic needs to the Eugene community.

One Tuesday afternoon, I joined Meloy outside of the Erb Memorial Union during the Produce Drop, an event hosted by the SSC where students can pick up fresh produce. A line of about 10 students wound its way through tables full of lettuce, bananas and apples.

Meloy, who earlier in the day had gone to a local food bank to pick up the produce, offered me a rundown of how the event works. Students scan a barcode, fill out a survey and then take the produce they want for free. When picking out the food, Meloy told me she tries to keep in mind what students like the best.

Pointing to a table full of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) resources, Meloy explained that college students are more vulnerable when it comes to facing food insecurity. Many don’t know how to access programs like SNAP to help.

“It’s hard to navigate the government website especially if you’ve never had to do that on your own before,” she told me.

I wanted to know more. So I reached out to other members of the community who are fighting food insecurity. Eventually, I met Connie Browning, the Student Food Pantry Coordinator at Grace Lutheran Church, who gave me a tour of the pantry tucked away on 17th street.

A room inside Grace Lutheran Church was stocked with fresh produce, frozen meat and other non-perishables. In a typical week, over 100 students will visit the pantry during the two days it’s open, Browning said.

At the front desk, Izzy Hazard sat with a smile as she checked students in — often remembering each person’s name from previous weeks.

Hazard, who started volunteering in December 2020, said she was surprised by how many students utilize the pantry, but she told me she was grateful the resource was available.

“There shouldn’t really be a barrier when you’re a student to food,” Hazard said, “because you can’t study, you can’t learn, you can’t enjoy college if you’re hungry.”

The barriers to food in college is something Eric Dale knows well. Dale, a senior studying computer science at Portland State University, tells me he has struggled to access food while at PSU. During his first four years of college, he worked multiple full-time jobs to avoid taking out additional student loans. Tuition and housing ate up most of his funds, he said, leaving little to spend on groceries.

“I was only paying $600 a month for my apartment, but I made about $600 a month,” Dale, 24, said. “If I went shopping and tried to get food anywhere, it was difficult.”

PSU’s food pantry gave Dale regular access to nutritional food — and energized him for a lecture and other schoolwork.

“College students are busy. I’m thinking about six different projects and eight homework assignments and where am I going and who am I seeing next,” he told me. “It’s very easy to be like, wow, there is 0% chance I’m going to have time to eat in between these things.”

Dray Aguirre also understands the important role food plays for a student. Aguirre attends Central Oregon Community College where he is studying nursing.

After a turbulent childhood, Aguirre, 32, moved to Central Oregon from California in 2013 to “start over,” he said. He lived with his mother, who resided in the area, for a while, but in 2017 he moved into a trailer on a friend’s property. The trailer has little electricity and no restroom.

After holding a few different jobs, including one making soap on a goat farm — “a highlight of my life,” he told me — Aguirre enrolled at COCC. “I went to school to change things. I wanted to change my perspective. I wanted to change my life,” Aguirre said. “But there have been so many barriers, there have been so many things standing in the way for me for my personal success — because I don’t have a shower, I don’t have a restroom, I don’t have a kitchen to cook — and this lifestyle is rough.”

To qualify for SNAP benefits, a person must have less than $2,001 in combined checking and saving accounts. At times, Aguirre said he held jobs that paid above that eligibility requirement, meaning he didn’t have access to some of the federal resources to combat food and housing insecurity. He said he now has to rely on microwave meals because he doesn’t have access to a stove.

“It’s not healthy, but it’s keeping me going, keeping me in survival mode,” he said.

Initially, Aguirre did not tell anyone about his situation because of the stigma around housing and food insecurity. But as he got involved in various clubs on campus, he became more vocal about his situation. Eventually, he traveled to Oregon’s capitol, Salem, with members of his school and then to Washington D.C. with members of Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon to lobby for more funding for students struggling to access basic needs.

“Students shouldn’t have to be hungry, and they shouldn’t have to worry about food or where to live when they’re trying to enhance their life, when they’re trying to be successful,” Aguirre said. “Navigating that is a job on its own, and it can be distracting and discouraging on their academics.”

Chris Baker, a former student-mother who personally struggled to access food while attending school, understands the struggle of non-traditional students. Baker is the legislative strategist for Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. While student food pantries are useful resources for college campuses, Baker emphasized the importance of legislative action.

“There’s no point in having a food pantry on your campus if you’re handing out rice and beans and a student is houseless and is living in their car and can’t cook that food,” Baker said.

Instead, Baker said universities should focus on a holistic approach to basic needs. Things like affordable meal plans, housing, healthcare and childcare should all play into a university’s plan for addressing food insecurity.

The state of Oregon has taken other steps to address access to basic needs on college campuses. In 2021, Oregon passed a bill requiring colleges and universities to hire a “benefits navigator” position to help students access aid programs.

Aguirre said he would like to see a program on college campuses that helps students in need find resources from the beginning of their college career. “People are listening in this time, and I want to just make sure it’s being known and try to help navigate whatever it is to get things done,” Aguirre said. “I’m about action. Politics is all about talking too much.”