#and if cheap ass near-expired food and banged up cereal boxes and rice bags and cans make this much difference

[lightblueminecraftorchid]

Misconceptions my family/friends about the food bank at my school:

- "Going to the food bank takes food from other people". The more people go, the more they can demonstrate a need in the student population and apply for more funding.

- "I can afford basic staple groceries, so I wouldn't benefit". The food bank has a variety of food items, including a lot of "treats" and foods you wouldn't expect to see. Even if you can buy what you need to get through the week, having some seasonings, produce, meat, shelf staples, etc. can still go a long way. Coffee, tea, and cocoa packets can make life a lot nicer. And the local grocery stores donate lots of just-past-sell-by baked goods, so if you like donuts with your coffee or lemon cake to brighten your afternoon, the food bank can help you out.

- "Don't they pick out the food for you? I don't want someone else deciding what I eat." The food bank here is like a much smaller grocery store; you're given bags and you fill them with what you need. Even someone like me, who has a lot of dietary restrictions, can benefit.

- "I can afford food, so I don't need anything. Im just struggling to buy other things, like school supplies" The food bank here has a separate care pantry. I've gotten hygiene items (pads, tampons, shampoo/conditioner/body wash, etc), kitchen items (plastic cups, ziplocs, trash bags, etc), toilet paper, and even sexual health items (sex health kits including lube, condoms, sometimes dental dams) from the care pantry. At the start of the semester, they had a back to school kit which included a notebook, a folder, a pen, and a highlighter. They have ESL books for international students. I've gotten gloves and socks from them. One time, I saw three pairs of shoes.

"So you can just take as much as you want?" No. Most food items are limited. All care items are limited, except for sex health kits and period products. The more popular items are, the more likely they are to be limited, bc they run out faster. It's a great day when the food bank gets a large donation of some type of produce like apples or grapefruit, bc that's the one time produce isn't super restricted. The food bank is really good for getting a little bit of a lot of things, not stocking up in bulk.

"So I can just walk in the door and get free stuff?" No. I was surprised how many hoops I had to jump through. I had to present my student ID three times to get to the food, as well as complete a detailed form. I had to give my full name, my employment status, how many people were in my household, my student status, my age, and sign up for a specific day to visit the food bank. That form also included two waivers, which absolve the school and donors of any responsibility for giving you spoiled food.

- "The food bank is accessible to everyone on campus". No. The food bank is frustratingly inaccessible. It's located all the way to the north end of campus, as far as possible from all of the dorms. There are two parking spaces; every other space within a quarter mile is metered. The food bank is open for two hours a day, but the hours are different for every day of the week, and they change every semester. The food bank entrance is down a flight of stairs, and there's no clear alternate entrance for people who can't use stairs safely. The first checkpoint to present your ID and proof of form completion is outside, and the building only lets in about ten students at a time; in the winter, this means standing outside in the bitter cold for up to an hour. Many of these students don't have closed toed shoes, gloves, or other cold weather gear. Student IDs can be physical cards, but the form and waivers can only be completed online; if your smartphone dies, you're fucked. The form itself is difficult to navigate to and only in English, despite a disproportionate amount of the students using the food bank speaking English as a second (or third or fourth) language. Worst of all, a lot of these issues aren't clear to students until they try to go.

- "Only the most desperate students use the foodbank; it's shameful/embarrassing to go there". 1 in 3 students use this food bank. Every time I've mentioned going to the food bank in conversation, nobody has reacted negatively. At most, they might ask me how to go there themselves. Even with all the hoops, the food bank massively improves my quality of life; I would keep going even if I were still employed. Do you know how much money I've saved on toilet paper and pads? On shampoo? On dish soap? I'm able to access free lube discreetly, which makes using tampons possible for me. I can get foods I don't strictly *need*, but make eating a joy again. I can get sparkling water, juice boxes, cocoa packets, and coffee. I got bags of apples and an orange this fall and made the best fucking cider in the world for no money at all. I get oil and butter and salt and pepper and eggs and bread. Yeah, they have the cheapest version of everything, and I hve to check the bread loaves for mold. It's still worth it. It's Free Food And Care Items.