Food and resource insecurity are growing issues on college campuses and can contribute to isolation, anxiety, and damaging academic consequences. An estimated 12 percent of students enrolled at the UW are currently experiencing this issue, some eating just one meal a day to save money after losing their jobs in 2020. The Open Seat, sustained by contributions to the Student Food Bank Fund, is a food pantry run by students for students, reducing the number of Badgers who face this challenge.
“Childhood poverty doesn’t end when someone turns 18 or enrolls in college,” shares Brooke Evans, who volunteered at the Open Seat and personally experienced food insecurity. “Having a pantry on campus gives struggling students the opportunity to live like the rest of their peers do.”
It takes only $30 a week to supply students in need with groceries and personal care supplies from the Open Seat. Your annual gifts help the UW deliver this vital resource during times of extraordinary financial stress, ensuring that hardworking Badgers don’t go hungry. With the long-term effects of the pandemic, the food pantry worked diligently to remain open by developing systems to keep everyone safe, including shifting from a grocery-style model to distributing prepackaged boxes each week. The number of students using this resource increases each year, and with that comes an ongoing need for financial support.
Created in February 2016, the Open Seat has assisted more than 1,500 students and their dependents in the last year alone with the help of philanthropic support. Through a partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank, the food pantry is able to purchase hundreds of pounds of items each month at relatively low cost, so donor contributions provide significant impact. This benefit helps students thrive inside and outside the classroom, ensuring that all Badgers have the food and resources they deserve.