By Jessica Easthope
For Hai Ho, being a college student can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. On Tuesdays he has class from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. with very few breaks, and learning on an empty stomach isn’t easy.
“My family has some trouble so it’s kind of challenging for me to keep continuing this school,” he said.
That’s why on Mondays he comes to pick up food at Vincent’s Table, St. John’s University’s new emergency food pantry exclusively for students. No lines, no shame, just nutritious food at the ready.
“Because as I have difficulty financially I usually buy frozen foods or cans but with this food pantry I get to eat a lot of kinds of food and I think it’s pretty great to have it,” Hai said.
According to Swipe Out Hunger, a national nonprofit looking to end college student hunger, 41 percent of college students experience some form of food insecurity. Mary-Elizabeth Sabo, St. John’s director of residential education and basic needs, says based on that average and St. John’s enrollment the school estimates more than 5,000 students could be food insecure.
“They are living and responsible for cooking for themselves. They need a little bit of extra support that they don’t yet have the benefit of a full time job to support themselves, or to be enrolled in support services on their own. And so this is an on campus safety net for them,” she said.
Those who got Vincent’s Table off the ground didn’t have to look far to find a model that’s had success in feeding the hungry. The site of St. John’s former Brooklyn campus is now one of the largest soup kitchens in New York City, St. John’s Bread & Life. Staff lent their expertise and their inventory to make it happen.
“Bread and life provided the blueprint to us from the way that they pack their fruits and vegetables to the software that they use to service their clients. We’ve duplicated over here. Everything is designed with the student experience in mind,” Sabo said.
“We live out the Vincentian mission to serve with joy and to make sure those among us have the tools necessary to be successful and one of those tools is basic necessities basic food,” said Bread & Life’s executive director Sr. Caroline Tweedy.
She said the shopping method and software they use allows for a dignified experience, and Vincent’s Table took notes.
“No one is ever turned away, no one is ever treated like less than a dignified human being, as Christians that’s what we’re all about,” Sr. Caroline said.
Students can come in and shop in person or order right from their phones and pick up in a discreet food locker.
“I had one student that shared without the pantry, they wouldn’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables at all. This is quite literally a lifeline for students. It makes a difference between going to class hungry and being able to, be full and able to concentrate on their academics,” said Sabo.
Most St. John’s students will never need this place, but for those who do – there will always be a seat at Vincent’s Table.