Championing Food Security: How NYU is Leading the Charge for Sustainable Solutions

Food insecurity is a major challenge for over 1.2 million New Yorkers. With rising living costs and grocery prices, many families, including more than 800,000 households in New York City, struggle to put food on the table. This issue extends to college students as well, including those at NYU. A study in 2019 revealed that 41% of NYU students faced food insecurity, a sharp rise from the 14.6% city-wide average.

Meal plans at NYU can cost as much as $3,338 per semester, making them financially out of reach for many. In response, various student organizations are helping peers find affordable meal options, but these resources aren’t always easy to find.

For instance, Jamie Kimura, a Tisch senior from Bushwick, Brooklyn, often travels to Manhattan for groceries because local options tend to be overpriced. “A bag of pasta that usually costs $3 can be $7 here,” she noted. Like many students, she sometimes skips meals to save money, especially when overwhelmed with assignments.

Saylee Nemade, a junior at Steinhardt and founder of the All NYU Food Pantry Committee, encourages students to utilize on-campus food pantries for essential items. NYU’s Violet Pantry, established in 2020 and run entirely by students, offers critical support. Recently, other schools within NYU, such as the School of Professional Studies and the School of Global Public Health, have set up similar pantries, but they often lack communication and coordination.

“Funding remains a significant challenge for us,” Nemade shared, highlighting the need for more support to enhance pantry accessibility. Each pantry has different methods for distributing food, from scanning QR codes to filling out forms. Students can also volunteer to assist.

In 2019, NYU launched the Swipe it Forward program, where students with meal plans can donate meal swipes to those in need. However, participants can redeem only one meal per week, raising concerns about its effectiveness.

NYU also offers Courtesy Meals, providing $75 in Dining Dollars for students facing financial emergencies. However, these can only be requested three times per academic year, limiting their impact.

Given these restrictions, some students have taken initiatives into their own hands. At the end of semesters, many share meals via social media, while others pour their extra meal swipes into mutual aid initiatives. Groups like the Community Care Collective actively distribute meals to the unhoused population around the city.

The challenge of food insecurity persists, affecting both NYU students and the wider community. While official dining options at the university may fall short, students are rallying to leverage available resources and address food insecurity among their peers.

For more detailed insights on food insecurity statistics in New York City, refer to the NYC Food Policy report.