Supporting Students through the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perspectives of Food Pantry Workers

Supporting Students through the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perspectives of Food Pantry Workers | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Supporting Students through the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perspectives of Food Pantry Workers Alvin Tran, Muskan Kohli, Aishwarya Sreenivasan, Selena Chom, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5312729/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 27 Jan, 2025 Read the published version in BMC Nutrition → Version 1 posted 14 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background College students in the United States are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity, which is associated with diminished health outcomes and poor academic performance. One key resource to support students through periods of food insecurity are on-campus food pantries, which distribute food, personal hygiene products, and other essential items. But as colleges and universities navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic, many campuses closed their food pantries as the demand for their services among students grew. Few studies, however, have assessed how food pantries at academic institutions navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic to support students. With this knowledge gap in mind, our study objectives included the following: 1) to compare staff members’ perceptions on the impact of COVID-19 on food pantries of academic institutions; and 2) to provide recommendations to improve campus food pantries in navigating through future public health threats. Methods The research team conducted a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with staff members, including directors and supervisors, of food pantries located on the campuses of colleges and universities in the state of Connecticut. Participants also completed a short post-interview survey assessing demographic information and perspectives on food insecurity-related issues impacting their respective college or university. A template organizing approach was used to allow members of the research team to create a codebook of both inductive and deductive codes and identify emergent themes from the qualitative data. Results Twelve interviews were conducted, of which 7 participants represented four-year and 5 from 2-year institutions. Based on our thematic analysis if the interviews, we identified four central themes: 1) Persistent Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic Barriers to Food Pantry Utilization; 2) Innovative responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; 3) Two- and Four-Year Colleges and Universities: Similarities and Differences; and 4) Demand for Non-Food-Related Items. Conclusions Our research underscores the importance of lessons gleaned by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly through the lens of on-campus food pantry workers. Their unique insight and lessons learned ought to be considered when academic institutions deliberate allocating resources and making key decisions to help mitigate food insecurity concerns on their campuses. On-campus food pantry COVID-19 college students qualitative research colleges and universities Background Food insecurity affects a number of diverse communities across the United States (U.S.). Defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the lack of consistent access to sufficient food to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle, food insecurity affects an estimated 33.8 million Americans as of 2021 [ 1 , 2 ]. The prevalence of food insecurity also varies considerably by demographic background and household characteristics. For example, in the U.S., households with children, households with children headed by a single parent, and households with Black, non-Hispanic and Hispanic individuals demonstrated higher rates of food insecurity compared to the national average [ 1 ]. Another group that is disproportionately impacted by food insecurity are students attending U.S. colleges and universities. Studies have documented a concerning prevalence of food insecurity among college students, with estimated rates falling between 20 to 50 percent - a proportion much higher than that of the U.S. population [ 3 ]. Results from the 2021 #RealCollege Survey, which involves more than 500 colleges and universities and over 500,000 students across the country, estimate that 39% and 29% of students at two-year and four-year institutions report being food insecure, respectively [ 4 ]. Beyond its associated health consequences, such as anemia, nutritional deficiency, poor sleep, diminished mental health, and limitations to perform activities of daily life (e.g., bathing and dressing), food insecurity in college students is associated with impediments to academic performance and changes in coping behaviors, such as borrowing money, altering eating patterns, and deferring bill payments [ 5 – 10 ]. College students vulnerable to food insecurity are often first-generation, come from unstable housing situations, reside in lower socioeconomic communities, and belong to marginalized populations, including racial/ethnic and sexual minority groups [ 11 , 12 ]. These disparities in food insecurity in college students were further exacerbated in many parts of the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic [ 13 , 14 ]. Unpredictable and unanticipated events, including natural disasters and disruptions in employment, are associated with experiences of food insecurity [ 15 ]. In response to the pandemic, many institutions of higher education transitioned from on-ground to online modes of instruction [ 16 ]; some institutions even closed their campuses entirely, which, despite the documented rise of students experiencing food insecurity [ 17 ], resulted in limited or fully restricted access to key resources, including on-campus food pantries [ 8 , 11 ]. For example, many institutions of higher education closed on-campus dining services and cafeterias, paused student employment opportunities, and restricted other key sources of support that further caused students to experience financial hardships leading to income loss, increased social isolation, heightened anxiety levels, and altered appetite [ 8 , 11 , 17 – 20 ]. Adding another layer of burden were hardships related to the eligibility criteria to accessing federal food assistance programs [ 11 , 21 – 23 ]. The U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was created to provide food benefits to U.S. citizens experiencing food insecurity and enable them to afford and access nutritious food [ 24 ]. However, SNAP requires individuals to work at least 20 hours per week within the last 6 months, therefore, presenting a significant barrier to accessing a resource to mitigate the experiences of food insecurity in several populations in the U.S., including students [ 3 , 18 , 24 ]. Furthermore, international students, who represent nearly 5 percent of the total enrollment of American institutions of higher education, are excluded from SNAP benefits and many federally funded food resources, leaving them at a heightened risk of experiencing long-term food insecurity [ 18 , 25 ]. Despite the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students, research assessing its impact on food security support services remains limited [ 14 , 18 , 26 ]. In a qualitative analysis involving semi-structured interviews with 12 students at one Midwestern public research university, Elmira Jangjou (2022) suggested students faced a number of hardships and experienced income loss, self-isolation, anxiety, and appetite changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic [ 18 ]. With on-campus food pantries closing, students reported devising short-term solutions to address their nutritional needs, including soliciting support from family and friends and accessing available safety net programs to mitigate experiences with food insecurity (i.e., SNAP) [ 18 ]. In addition, researchers at Fairfield University in Connecticut interviewed food pantry managers to gauge how they responded to the COVID-19 pandemic [ 26 ]. Although their study did not focus on institutions of higher education, List and colleagues (2021) found that food pantry managers across two cities experienced staffing shortages, challenges managing crowds, and concerns over food quality [ 26 ]. While studies have explored students' perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to their experiences with food insecurity and utilization of on-campus support services [ 14 , 18 ], we are not aware of any research assessing the insights of food pantry managers or staff members on college and university campuses. Our study aims to fill an existing knowledge gap and address calls from published research to investigate the viewpoints of staff members, including managers, of food pantries in educational environments [ 27 ]. In particular, we aim to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food pantries of colleges and universities across the state of Connecticut - where our research team is based. In a study involving college students in Connecticut, the overall prevalence of food insecurity was a staggering 59%, with two-year colleges having a statistically significant higher number of food insecure students (61%) compared to their four-year counterparts (57%) [ 28 ]. Given that existing studies have explored students’ perspective on the pandemic, including their experiences with food insecurity [ 18 ], we particularly explored the perceptions of individuals overseeing and staffing campus food pantries. Our research team believes the perspective of staff members and supervisors of food pantries will provide valuable insight and lessons learned from navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, as experts anticipate our global population to experience future and inevitable public health threats and emergencies [ 29 , 30 ]. Our overarching qualitative research objectives include the following: To compare staff members’ perceptions on the impact of COVID-19 on college food pantries across two- and four-year colleges and universities in Connecticut; To provide recommendations to improve campus food pantries access, services, and resources on college and university campuses in navigating through future public health threats. Methods We conducted a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with staff members, including directors and supervisors, of food pantries located on the campuses of colleges and universities in the state of Connecticut. Participants also completed a short post-interview survey assessing demographic information and perspectives on food insecurity-related issues impacting their respective college or university. The University of New Haven Institutional Review Board approved this study (#2022-025). Our research team consisted of four masters of public health students (DD, SC, MK, AS), one undergraduate graduate student (NK), and a public health nutrition researcher trained in mixed methods research (AT). Participants and Data Collection Between March and June 2022, we contacted food pantry directors and staff members of various Connecticut colleges and universities and asked them to participate in a qualitative study exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on campus food pantries. Using purposive sampling [ 31 , 32 ], our research team identified staff members of college food pantries through their institutions’ respective websites or social media (i.e., LinkedIn). We also identified potential participants through the nonprofit organization, Swipe Out Hunger (Swipe Hunger), that publicly lists the contact information of food pantries across the country, including those based in Connecticut [ 33 ]. Eligibility for our study was limited to staff members, paid or unpaid, of college and university food pantries in Connecticut. A total of 21 colleges and universities in Connecticut were contacted, of which 12 expressed interest and participated in the study. In addition to an interview, participants also completed a short, self-administered post-interview survey that collected demographic information regarding their institution, food pantry utilization, and other essential information regarding food insecurity. All participants provided written consent and were given a $ 35 gift card for their participation. Two Master of Public Health students (DD, SC), who received training in qualitative research, conducted the interviews remotely via Zoom or telephone. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim and imported into MAXQDA, a qualitative analysis software [ 34 ]. The approximate length of each interview was 60 minutes. Furthermore, the two interviewers wrote memos throughout the data collection process, which allowed them to maintain a reflexive stance and retain ideas that may otherwise be lost [ 35 ]. Our research team developed a semi-structured interview guide based on the existing literature on food insecurity experiences and food pantry utilization in college students [ 12 ], including those focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic [ 26 ]. The guide included a series of 10 open-ended questions and covered topics ranging from the history of the respective food pantry, trends of pantry usage, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to recommendations and suggestions for improvement. Example questions include the following: "What are the known barriers your food pantry faces in reaching out to students?”; "What are the trends that you have observed in regard to utilization of your food pantry?"; "How is the food pantry helping students facing food insecurity"; and "What advice would you give to other colleges who want to start a food pantry in their colleges?" Our research team pre-tested the interview guide using a small sample of university faculty and staff members and students, refining it for clarity and content. The final interview guide is provided as Supplemental Material. Data Analysis After completing our twelfth and final interview, our research team achieved data saturation - the point at which we collectively determined that additional interviews would most likely yield repetitive data and not provide novel insights or themes [ 36 ]. We particularly chose to analyze our 12 interview transcripts using a template organizing approach that allows us to create a codebook of both inductive and deductive codes from an existing guiding framework [ 37 ]. This approach, which is flexible in nature, also allowed us to follow emergent themes and draw comparisons between groups, as one of our research objectives was to compare the experiences of staff members of food pantries at two- and four-year colleges and universities [ 38 ]. Our research team used a team-based approach in developing a preliminary codebook [ 39 ]. MK, AS, NR, and AT met over a series of meetings over the summer of 2023 to immerse themselves into the data by individually reading a subsample of transcripts, and then creating, discussing, and refining a list of preliminary codes. We also developed codes using the findings from Price and colleagues (2019) who explored unique challenges of 16 college food pantries based in the state of Michigan [ 12 ]. All codes were given a mnemonic, definition, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and at least one example drawn from the data [ 40 ]. MK, AS, and NR then individually applied the preliminary codebook to a subset of transcripts, proposed coding revisions, and met collectively with AT to resolve any disagreements. To assess the level of agreement between independent coders and finalize the codebook, the senior author used an intercoder agreement function through MAXQDA to ensure a kappa value indicating fair to good agreement was obtained [ 41 ]. The final codebook is also available as Supplemental Material. The research team applied the final codebook to analyze all 12 interview transcripts using MAXQDA and met periodically to group the codes into proposed themes relating to the guiding research questions [ 37 ]. Results Table 1 describes the characteristics of the 12 colleges and universities as well as their respective representatives that participated in our study. Our research team interviewed 7 representatives from four-year institutions and 5 from two-year institutions. On an interviewee level, 7 participants identified as female and 5 as male. The majority identified as either staff members (n = 9) or administrators (n = 1). Participants were also asked about their perceived severity of food insecurity at their respective institutions, of which 11 out of 12 believed the issue to be at least a moderate problem. Table 1 Characteristics of Interviews and their respective college food pantries (N = 12) n (%) Type of College/University 4-year 2-year 7 (58) 5 (42) Private vs. Public Status Public Private 7 (58) 5 (42) Sex of Participant Interviewed Female Male 7 (58) 5 (42) Current Role Faculty member Staff member Administrator 2 (17) 9 (75) 1 (8) Length of time working at respective institution food pantry Less than a year 1–3 years 4–6 years More than 6 years 2 (17) 4 (33) 4 (33) 2 (17) Food pantry provides students with information about SNAP, WIC, OR TANF? Yes No 9 (75) 3 (25) Food insecurity a problem among your student population? Not a problem Minor problem Moderate problem Serious problem 0 (0) 1 (8) 7 (58) 4 (33) [Insert Table ] Based on our thematic analysis of the interviews, we identified four central themes: Persistent Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic Barriers to Food Pantry Utilization Innovative Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic International Students’ Reliance on Food Pantries at Four-Year Colleges and Universities Demand for Non-Food-Related Resources Theme 1: Persistent Pre-COVID-19 Barriers to Food Pantry Utilization While the majority of respondents highlighted food insecurity to be a significant concern in their respective student populations, many emphasized that barriers to the utilization of their pantries existed before and continued to persist after the COVID-19 pandemic. Subthemes include the following: 1) Stigma of food pantry use and 2) Staffing shortages and physical space. Stigma of food pantry use Representatives interviewed for our study frequently cited stigma as a key barrier to students accessing their food pantry services. One four-year university representative explained: What are some of the stigmas? Why don’t people wanna come here? What’s going on? And it just ended up being that some of them were too prideful, some of them were embarrassed. They were ashamed that they felt like they did something wrong. They felt like everybody has this underlying [belief] I’m not good enough, I can’t even provide for my family. These are all quotes from conversations that we had with students and all these cognitive distortions that they were projecting and stuff out loud. So, we had to have this conversation. A representative from a two-year college added instructors, such as faculty members, often perpetuate the stigma around pantry use. He explained: Within our campus community we have a lot of professors who, maybe they finished their formal education in the ‘50s, ‘60s, or ‘70s, and they’ve been teaching ever since. They’re wonderful in the classroom, but they didn’t notice that the world around them changed, and they didn’t grow with it. So, they’ll be like, “You can’t have students just coming in for food. I got through on ramen noodles. They can do it too.” No, it’s a different world. It’s a different world. Plus, we have so much income inequality. A third of the food that we produce nationwide never gets distributed. So, why should that be? But in the height of the pandemic, as some universities and colleges sought innovative solutions to support students experiencing food insecurity, concerns around stigma persisted. One four-year university representative said students were hesitant to use grocery store gift cards that their respective food pantries provided as a result of campuses shutting down: We’ve had some trouble with students who are worried about going into the grocery store with a gift card and people will look at them negatively. Staffing shortages and physical space Many interviewees acknowledged that staffing shortages, as well as not having a physical space, continued to be significant challenges their respective food pantries face. Due to staffing shortages and reliance on student volunteers, one two-year representative said his food pantry limited its hours of operation even though he believes services should be expanded. He explained: Quality staffing is the biggest barrier right now because our food pantry should be open much more frequently for our evening students. But I’m just stuck. There's nothing I can do until we resolve this volunteering issue that we have to get them. And the issue basically is this. Preexisting staffing shortages, however, continued and, for some interviewees, worsened as the pandemic also contributed to furloughs and even fewer people to support the operation of food pantries. As the need for food pantry support grew among students, some campuses reportedly did not have enough staff to meet that growing demand. One representative at a four-year college explained: When we opened back up, we realized that, oh and then people were getting furloughed, people were getting furloughed left and right. That kind of made our operation hard because we just didn’t have the people. Because the people got furloughed, but the work didn’t. In addition to staffing shortages, the physical location of on-campus food pantries was also a significant challenge. Representatives from both two- and four-year institutions expressed frustration around not having a permanent or ideal physical space for their food pantries. Not only was space an issue prior to the start of the pandemic, it became more of a nuisance in the midst of the public health emergency. For some institutions, food pantries were often located in areas that were not frequently used by students or had a physical appearance that deterred utilization. One representative from a four-year institution shared: So, right at the beginning of COVID, our pantry wasn’t really an operation. It was just kind of in our manufacturing building. It kind of looks like a car-fixing place in the corner of campus, and it wasn’t really accessible to students. But when the pandemic hit us, it hit us hard. And a lot of [students] disclosed food insecurity because they couldn’t work. A lot of them worked in malls, and stuff like that. … So, that was kinda tough. So, when we opened back up, we realized we can’t keep operating in the garage. We have to find a bigger place. Furthermore, food pantries were often in shared spaces with other university services, which presented constraints around capacity and limited the hours of operations. But, the pandemic resulted in a heightened demand for support around food insecurity and some universities were forced to quickly identify new spaces on campus to provide the necessary resources to students. One four-year university representative explained: Because during that time, because of the restrictions to how our space could be used and how many people could be in it, we just turned the whole Resource Center into a free store. And so, that's the largest our pantry has ever been, was actually during that time. … Yeah, I actually think that was the most consistent we had people coming to the Resource Center, just to access the pantry. One, to some extent, I thought it was because, obviously, we're in a pandemic, especially in the earlier days, in 2020, you really couldn't go anywhere, right? You literally could not leave campus. Another four-year university representative added: Yeah, so we did have barriers to space. We weren’t sure that this space would be permanent. So, the campus has a pantry because they do a lot of events pre-COVID, so that worked in my favor of accessing that space. They think, going forward, it’ll probably still be housed there and that we’ll share space with the caterers and things like that. So, space is a challenge. I think it needs its own free-standing space. Theme 2: Innovative Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic As a result of the pandemic, many universities and colleges closed their campuses and consequentially restricted students’ access to on-campus food insecurity resources. This prompted on-campus pantry staff to identify and implement innovative strategies to get food and additional resources (e.g., hygiene products) to students. According to a representative from a community college-based food pantry, he and members of his team scheduled times for students to pick up food - although of limited variety - at one of their homes. He explained: We had to get shut down because of state policies when COVID came, and we closed the campus. But, myself and a couple of other partners who work on campus, because we still had some strong networks … We were still able to go around and get food. And ask students to, if they had a car come to my house at a certain time and they could take a whole bunch of food. I didn’t necessarily have the variety of the food sovereignty, but we had a lot of food. Another community college representative organized what they called “pop-up drive-throughs.” She explained: We tried this pop-up drive-through, like a mini version. Except the weather was raining that day, and it was the middle of the pandemic. We'll probably do that again and work with the student senate and have a day where you could just drive up with your car, and we'll have a clipboard. Fill out the information, and we just put the stuff in your trunk. And you move along. But it's weather dependent. Given the closure of their respective food pantries, one four-year university opted to provide virtual gift cards and other non-physical food insecurity services to students. She shared: Instead of having everything in person, we shifted to virtual support. So, we were able to distribute e-gift cards to retailers, to local retailers. We reached out to Stop & Shop for additional gift cards that we could mail to students. And then, we started doing meal swipes through Sodexo and the Swipe Out Hunger Program. Thus, due to campus closures and concerns around the spread of COVID-19, university and college representatives continued to address concerns around their students’ experiences with food insecurity. While pick-up or drop-off efforts were utilized, weather and food variety were described as impediments to success. Theme 3: International Students’ Reliance on Food Pantries at Four-Year Colleges and Universities At several four-year institutions, interviewees frequently identified international students as a population that most often utilized their food pantry’s services. According to two representatives of four-year universities, international students were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as many faced significant challenges, including travel and work restrictions. One representative explained: We’ve tried to be really careful because one of the things that the pandemic brought up was that the international students were sort of stuck here during the pandemic. They couldn’t go home. Our dining halls were closed and we sort of said to them like okay you can live here, but we didn’t give them a way to eat. So, our international students were really good about saying to me can we use the food pantry, and I’d be like yes, but only if you tell me what I need to put in the food pantry because maybe you don’t like peanut butter and mac and cheese. Another four-year university representative shared that international students, even prior to the pandemic, were already relying on her campus food pantry. She explained: So, the largest population of students that use our program are graduate international students. That’s largely in part because they don’t have the additional finances to support additional costs outside of tuition, and the immediate costs associated with their education, as well as housing. So, that’s where a large portion of their funds are going towards. And they’re often faced with the decision of what to do next. So, we do see a large portion of graduate international students, and then we do have a smaller amount of domestic students who do use the service, and the program. It should be noted, however, that domestic students continued to rely on food pantry services at both two- and four-year institutions. At two-year institutions, many representatives noted the demographic composition of those relying on their pantries were often students who were parents, had dependents, and would be soliciting food for their entire families as opposed to only themselves. Theme 4: Demand for Non-Food-Related Resources Following the COVID-19 pandemic, interviewees shared valuable lessons learned from their experiences supporting students facing food insecurity. In particular, they shared that their student clientele presented needs beyond the food resources their on-campus pantries generally provide. For instance, interviewees emphasized the need for institutional support in terms of ensuring adequate staffing to run food pantries. Such staff members, many said, are pivotal not only to support students facing food insecurity but other challenges to their wellbeing, including their mental health. One representative explained that she viewed her role as a food pantry staffer as one having some responsibilities of a social worker. She explained: I sort of work like a social worker. That would be a great resource to have a dedicated social worker who oversaw sort of an area. It’s sort of a basic needs hub is the way I think about it, so food, housing. We’ve had a number of students who will come in, and they’ll talk about food, and they’ll say I just got kicked out of my house. And that’s why I need food. And I’m like well, hold on. Don’t you need housing? And I can make some calls. We have done that. I’ve made some calls and connected. But if there were someone here whose job it was, I think they would have better questions to ask. And so, a basic needs hub that would cover food, hygiene, clothing for interviews, transportation home, a death in the family kind of transportation home, food, healthcare, I think that kind of basic needs hub would be my dream for where this would go next. While many interviewees saw an elevated usage of their food pantries, some emphasized students were experiencing more than food access challenges. For example, students were struggling with mental health concerns and economic difficulties that existed before and were exacerbated following the pandemic. A four-year university representative explained: There were already a lot of issues before COVID, but now, you have more economic insecurity. We have more food insecurity. We have more mental health problems. We have all these sorts of crises that need to be addressed, and students need help in these key areas. Are they going to do this? I don’t know, but we’re still pushing for it. It’s just hard. I mean, you need people to run it that are trained to work with students because students will ultimately be staffing it, and that’s fine, but you need one key person overseeing it, and you need consistent students because we’ve had such variation. In addition, one representative from a two-year college expressed the need to support students who may also be experiencing homelessness, which intersects with food insecurity. And sometimes a different type of a barrier is homeless students. Yeah, they can take as much food as they want, but where they gonna keep it? Where they gonna cook? I observed it and noted it, but the United Way did a statewide youth count and they determined that 25% of our young people are homeless. Which may be higher on community college campuses because students try to hide that fact. So, it could be as high as 30 to 35% of community college students being homeless. While the COVID-19 pandemic restricted food access to students, interviewees stressed the importance of food pantries in providing other resources. They also added students often struggled to find safe sources of drinking water as water fountains and dispensers were often shut down. One four-year university representative explained: I believe what the students need the most probably is what they’ve been also asking for is water. ‘Cause they’re in COVID they have shut off – these are our resident students. They have shut off the water fountains in the buildings. So, nobody’s putting their mouth to the water fountain while COVID is going on. So, they were asking for things like water bottles so that they can have water to drink and stuff like that. So, I think they’re more asking and what they need more of nutritious things that they can have to build up that calorie intake. Interviewees also shared that their pantries often provided personal hygiene products (e.g., shampoos, deodorant, etc.) and other essential items (e.g., warm clothes). Thus, the closure of campus-based food pantries would not only restrict student access to food, but also other necessities that may not always be apparent. Discussion This research explored the unique perspectives of staff members working at food pantries on the campuses of two-year and four-year colleges and universities in the state of Connecticut, focusing particularly on their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study specifically compared the staff members’ perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on their respective college food pantries, highlighting key themes and presenting lessons learned should academic institutions find themselves having to navigate through future public health threats. In particular, the study’s focus on food pantry workers builds upon prior studies that have explored solely students' perceptions around food insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic [ 18 , 42 , 43 ]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of academic institutions and workplaces posed several challenges for students, encompassing financial loss, physical and mental health impact, and exacerbating food insecurity, increasing reliance on food pantries for support [ 14 , 18 ]. Despite food insecurity being heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic on many academic institution campuses [ 44 ], food pantries were frequently deemed non-essential services and closed along with many colleges and universities [ 42 ]. Our interviews with staff members across 12 colleges and universities across Connecticut corroborated the findings of existing studies that found food insecurity as a pervasive public health issue in students before, during, and after the pandemic. While each academic institution interviewed in our study faced unique circumstances, they shared the common objective of providing support to their students in accessing food insecurity support services. In response to pandemic-related access restrictions to on-campus food pantries, for example, several staff members expressed resilience and deployed a myriad of strategies to support students, ranging from administering virtual gift cards to grocery stores to implementing pre-scheduled food pick-up programs from school or individual homes, facilitating curbside deliveries, and arranging drop-offs for students without cars or transportation barriers. On investigating the utilization patterns of campus pantries, our study highlighted distinct demographic differences as well as unique needs between each academic institution type (two- and four-year colleges). We particularly noticed the emphasis on international students and their struggles with food insecurity on the campus for four-year institutions. International students coming to the United States are already facing a number of challenges, such as homesickness and acculturative stress [ 45 ]. Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic elevate food insecurity, but reports of discrimination towards international students from Asian countries were also documented across colleges and universities nationwide [ 46 ]. The participants of our study frequently described international students as one of the key populations utilizing their respective food pantries. Following the closures of campuses (including dining halls and cafeterias) and challenges in traveling to their respective home countries, international students relied heavily on on-campus food pantry services unless they were forced to shut down during the pandemic. This phenomenon of international students and food pantry utilization was mentioned across both public and private four-year institutions interviewed in our study. Furthermore, it was observed that most of the two-year colleges, in contrast to their four-year counterparts, extended support not just to students but also to families, especially during times of unemployment, by allowing students to take food home for their family members. Two-year institutions appeared to focus their food pantry services on catering to students enrolled in evening classes, those working during the day, and those who are also parents. Considering students at two-year institutions and their unique challenges (e.g., balancing full-time work and education, financial constraints, etc.), on-campus pantries should consider removing barriers to access and utilization. Such efforts may include extending hours of operation, including offering weekend hours [ 47 ]. Students at two-year colleges may also demonstrate greater need for services on-campus pantries provide, yet often lack the knowledge of how to utilize these services [ 48 ]. Thus, efforts are needed not only to ensure an effective implementation of on-campus pantries but to also market them to increase awareness. While our study focused on the perspectives of on-campus food pantry workers, many participants noted that the challenges to accessing their food insecurity support services were not a result of COVID-19; they existed before the pandemic and perpetuated as a result. This insight aligned with existing research supporting similar observations that barriers to support services to on-campus food pantries existed prior to the pandemic [ 18 ]. While such studies highlighted financial and time constraints as major barriers for students to food security, our study further accentuated a few distinct barriers. For example, the stigma associated with the usage of these services persisted, both prior to and amid the pandemic. The staff members our research team interviewed reported that students often felt embarrassed to be seen publicly using such services due to concerns around negative perceptions from peers, and added students felt overwhelmed by the notion of seeking assistance. What was also a concern was a statement from one interviewee who described a particular instructor who further perpetuated the stigma around the utilization of on-campus food pantries. Thus, with increasing demand for their services, on-campus pantries will need to consider how to overcome concerns over social stigma. When realizing students felt a lot of shame in coming to their on-campus pantry and leaving with traditional bags of food, a representative from a four-year institution began offering colorful tote bags aimed at not identifying them as those in need. Separately, academic institutions across the country are also piloting programs to normalize food pantry usage by collaborating with on campus counseling centers and other academic divisions to rebrand their pantries as food grocery stores [ 49 ]. Campuses, whether they are two- or four-year colleges, need to evaluate their existing marketing strategies around their food pantries to ensure their messaging does not promote structural stigma and contribute to students’ feelings of embarrassment [ 50 ]. Similarly, interviewees also described the prevalence of misinformation around food pantry utilization, particularly students’ encompassed fears of losing financial aid or concerns about the quality of products distributed, claiming pantries were providing “mystery meat” or “moldy bread.” Furthermore, several interviewees described ongoing challenges related to staffing shortages, citing a lack of reliable, committed, and responsible personnel as a significant barrier to maintaining constant operations for their respective food pantries. In line with prior research, food pantry space and location emerged as a significant challenge for food pantry staff [ 12 , 26 ]. Not only did some interviewees expressed concerns about not having adequate space, as some pantries were housed in areas that were deemed too small or were shared with competing on-campus services. In one conversation with a pantry worker of a four-year university, her institution had allocated a physical space in the basement of a secluded building that provided students more privacy, was more accessible, and aimed at reducing the stigma of pantry use. Another interviewee, however, suggested food pantries be placed in a more centralized location more frequented by students to increase their visibility. This contrasting viewpoint of the ideal physical space of food pantries was also discussed in a qualitative study by Price and colleagues (2020), which included interviews with food pantry representatives in Michigan, though no clear consensus or solution was provided. In a 2024 systematic review assessing barriers and facilitators of campus food pantries, flexibility, food quality, and awareness through positive messaging were identified as key facilitators. In particular, on-campus pantries were more successful in student utilization if they had flexible hours of operation, an online ordering system, provided fresh and culturally-familiar food items, and implemented positive messaging through trusted individuals (e.g., student peer advisors, faculty, and staff) [ 50 ]. Overall, the interviews with twelve unique food pantry staff members of Connecticut-based college and university yielded lessons learned for navigating through a public health emergency. Recognizing the intersection between food insecurity and other public health concerns - from mental health to economic instability - food pantry workers emphasized the need for reliable, competent staff. One interviewee suggested additional training for staff to handle diverse student needs, as another emphasized the multidisciplinary role of a food pantry worker. In particular, food pantry workers may often take on responsibilities that overlap with those of a social worker, as they are also offering or connecting students to other resources, such as housing and mental health services. As with prior research, creating paid opportunities (e.g., pantry director roles) or hiring work-study students (as opposed to relying solely on volunteers), may help to mitigate staffing shortages [ 12 ]. Partnering with on-campus departments, such as nutrition or social work programs, may also provide educational opportunities, raise awareness around pantry services, and reduce staffing concerns (i.e., student volunteers and internship opportunities) [ 12 ]. Despite many academic institutions deeming food pantry services as non-essential, the threat of closure persists post-pandemic, prompting the need for contingency plans. Evidently, the closure of pantries will not only impact food services but also jeopardize student employment opportunities, including federal work-study opportunities and part-time positions. Furthermore, as highlighted throughout several interviews, food pantry services extended beyond providing food items during the pandemic, as many offered personal hygiene products (e.g., shaving kits, soaps, body wash), stationery items (e.g., books, notebooks, pens, etc.), and provided safe drinking water in response to campuses shutting down drinking fountains and water bottle filling stations. Although our study offers unique insight, it is not without limitations. While generalizability is not often sought or feasible in qualitative studies [ 51 ], we limited our recruitment of participants to food pantry workers of colleges and universities based in Connecticut. It is possible that academic institutions in other parts of the country may yield unique challenges around food insecurity and food pantry services; other states may have varying levels of resources, policies, and support systems for addressing food insecurity. Despite this limitation, we acknowledge our findings corroborated those of existing studies conducted in other geographic locations, particularly around food pantry challenges around awareness, staffing, and physical location [ 12 ]. Furthermore, our study involved semi-structured interviews with twelve representatives working at an on-campus food pantry. This subjected our study to potential social desirability response bias [ 52 ]. Our research team, however, anticipated this potential bias by training our interviewer and notetaker to use our pilot-tested interview guide and conduct one-on-one, qualitative interviews. The use of a consistent interviewer may reduce the likelihood of obtaining varying interactions between interview participants and the researcher, which have been documented in studies involving multiple interviewers [ 53 ]. Finally, our interviews were conducted between March and June 2022 - a period where participants opted for a virtual interview format. The use of teleconferencing services, such as Zoom and Skype, may hinder the interviewer’s ability to identify non-verbal cues [ 54 ]. However, the use of virtual interviews may have been more convenient for our interviewees and reduced transportation barriers as the academic institutions represented in our study were scattered throughout the state of Connecticut. Despite these limitations, the study contributes valuable qualitative insights into the challenges of addressing food insecurity on college campuses, offering a foundation for future research and improvements in support services. Overall, given the inevitability of future public health threats and pandemics [ 29 , 30 ], universities and colleges must take proactive measures to fortify their preparedness. Our research underscores the importance of lessons gleaned by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly through the lens of on-campus food pantry workers. Their unique insight and lessons learned ought to be considered when academic institutions deliberate allocating resources and making key decisions to help mitigate food insecurity concerns on their campuses. Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate This study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki and all procedures involving human subjects were approved by the University of New Haven Institutional Review Board (#2022-025). Voluntary informed consent was obtained from all subjects. Consent for publication Not applicable. Availability of data and materials The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to confidentiality and privacy for participants but data collection tools available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Competing interests All the authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest. Funding This study was supported by a University of New Haven Research Fund. Authors' contributions AT conceptualized the research question, data analysis, wrote the majority of the paper, and oversaw all phases of the study. MK and AS analyzed the data and contributed to the writing of the manuscript. SC and DD conducted the data collection. NR assisted in analyzing the data. References USDA ERS - Key Statistics & Graphics [Internet]. [cited 2023 Jun 15]. Available from: https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/key-statistics-graphics/ USDA ERS - Definitions of Food Security [Internet]. [cited 2023 Jun 13]. Available from: https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/definitions-of-food-security/ Freudenberg N, Goldrick-Rab S, Poppendieck J. College Students and SNAP: The New Face of Food Insecurity in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2019;109:1652–8. #RealCollege 2021: Basic Needs Insecurity During the Ongoing Pandemic. Conrad AG, Tolar-Peterson T, Gardner AJ, Wei T, Evans MW. Addressing Food Insecurity: A Qualitative Study of Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Food Access Resources. Nutrients. 2022;14:3517. Hagedorn RL, Olfert MD. Food Insecurity and Behavioral Characteristics for Academic Success in Young Adults Attending an Appalachian University. Nutrients. 2018;10:361. Hagedorn RL, McArthur LH, Hood LB, Berner M, Anderson Steeves ET, Connell CL, et al. Expenditure, Coping, and Academic Behaviors among Food-Insecure College Students at 10 Higher Education Institutes in the Appalachian and Southeastern Regions. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2019;3:nzz058. Hagedorn RL, Walker AE, Wattick RA, Olfert MD. Newly Food-Insecure College Students in Appalachia During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2022;54:202–10. Raskind IG, Haardörfer R, Berg CJ. Food insecurity, psychosocial health and academic performance among college and university students in Georgia, USA. Public Health Nutr. 2019;22:476–85. Jones AD. Food Insecurity and Mental Health Status: A Global Analysis of 149 Countries. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2017;53:264–73. Owens MR, Brito-Silva F, Kirkland T, Moore CE, Davis KE, Patterson MA, et al. Prevalence and Social Determinants of Food Insecurity among College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nutrients. 2020;12:2515. Price CE, Watters E, Reppond HA, Sampson NR, Thomas-Brown K. Problem-solving challenges: operating a campus food pantry to improve student success. Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness. 2020;29:47–56. Fitzpatrick KM, Harris C, Drawve G, Willis DE. Assessing Food Insecurity among US Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition. 2021;16:1–18. Kopels MC, Roulette CJ. Food insecurity, diet and mental distress among resource insecure students during COVID-19. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. 2023;11:18–29. Milovanska-Farrington S. Job loss and food insecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic. JES. 2023;50:300–23. Tadesse S, Muluye W. The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Education System in Developing Countries: A Review. JSS. 2020;08:159–70. Laska MN, Fleischhacker S, Petsoulis C, Bruening M, Stebleton MJ. Addressing College Food Insecurity: An Assessment of Federal Legislation Before and During Coronavirus Disease-2019. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2020;52:982–7. Jangjou E. Staying Home, Staying Alive: Campus Food Pantry Student Clients’ Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Applied Social Science. 2022;16:31–43. Goldrick-Rab S, Coca V, Kienzl GS, Welton C, Dahl S, Magnelia S. #RealCollege During the Pandemic: New Evidence on Basic Needs Insecurity and Student Well-Being. 2020 [cited 2023 Jun 18]. Available from: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/%23RealCollege-During-the-Pandemic%3A-New-Evidence-on-Goldrick-Rab-Coca/77e01c19bb8d3781e76ed4576618a125c08a1341 Foresman B. Here are the U.S. universities that have closed due to coronavirus [Internet]. EdScoop. 2020 [cited 2023 Jun 18]. Available from: https://edscoop.com/universities-closed-due-coronavirus-2020/ Broton KM, Cady CL. Food Insecurity on Campus: Action and Intervention. Johns Hopkins University Press. Johns Hopkins University Press; 2020. El Zein A, Mathews AE, House L, Shelnutt KP. Why Are Hungry College Students Not Seeking Help? Predictors of and Barriers to Using an On-Campus Food Pantry. Nutrients. 2018;10:1163. Goldrick-Rab S. Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream [Internet]. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press; 2017 [cited 2023 Jun 18]. Available from: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo24663096.html Keith-Jennings B, Llobrera J, Dean S. Links of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program With Food Insecurity, Poverty, and Health: Evidence and Potential. Am J Public Health. 2019;109:1636–40. Silver L. Amid pandemic, international student enrollment at U.S. universities fell 15% in the 2020-21 school year [Internet]. Pew Research Center. [cited 2023 Jun 24]. Available from: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/12/06/amid-pandemic-international-student-enrollment-at-u-s-universities-fell-15-in-the-2020-21-school-year/ List D, Quan M, Cansoy M, Aksan A-M, Delgado J, Argondezzi T, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Pantry Operations. Fairfield University. 2021; Doll CL, Millikan R, Neal H. School-Based Food Pantries & the COVID-19 Pandemic: Pantry Organizers Suggest Both Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition. 2023;1–19. Anziano J, Neal L, Zigmont VA. An Examination of Food Insecurity within Connecticut’s Public University System. Journal of Poverty. 2023;1–17. Salazar CB, Spencer P, Mohamad K, Jabeen A, Abdulmonem WA, Fernández N. Future pandemics might be caused by bacteria and not viruses: Recent advances in medical preventive practice. Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2022;16:1–3. Dodds W. Disease Now and Potential Future Pandemics. The World’s Worst Problems [Internet]. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2019 [cited 2023 Oct 1]. p. 31–44. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-030-30410-2_4 Palinkas LA, Horwitz SM, Green CA, Wisdom JP, Duan N, Hoagwood K. Purposeful Sampling for Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis in Mixed Method Implementation Research. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2015;42:533–44. Barbour RS. Checklists for improving rigour in qualitative research: a case of the tail wagging the dog? BMJ. 2001;322:1115–7. Swipe Out Hunger - Ending College Food Insecurity [Internet]. Swipe Out Hunger. [cited 2023 Jun 25]. Available from: https://www.swipehunger.org/ MAXQDA | All-In-One Qualitative & Mixed Methods Data Analysis Tool [Internet]. MAXQDA. [cited 2023 Jun 25]. Available from: https://www.maxqda.com/ Birks M, Chapman Y, Francis K. Memoing in qualitative research: Probing data and processes. Journal of Research in Nursing. 2008;13:68–75. Fusch P, Ness L. Are We There Yet? Data Saturation in Qualitative Research. TQR [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2023 Jun 25]; Available from: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol20/iss9/3/ Crabtree BF, Miller WL, editors. Doing qualitative research. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications; 1999. Cassell C, Symon G. Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research [Internet]. 1 Oliver’s Yard, 55 City Road, London EC1Y 1SP United Kingdom: SAGE Publications Ltd; 2004 [cited 2023 Jun 25]. Available from: https://sk.sagepub.com/books/essential-guide-to-qualitative-methods-in-organizational-research MacQueen KM, McLellan E, Kay K, Milstein B. Codebook Development for Team-Based Qualitative Analysis. CAM Journal. 1998;10:31–6. Bernard HR, Wutich A, Ryan GW. Analyzing qualitative data: systematic approaches. Second edition. Los Angeles: SAGE; 2017. Intercoder Agreement [Internet]. MAXQDA. [cited 2024 Sep 11]. Available from: https://www.maxqda.com/help-mx24/coding/problem-intercoder-agreement-qualitative-research Kendrick A, Fantasia HC, Morse B, Willis DE. Experiences of Food Insecure College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition. 2023;1–14. Soria KM, Coca V. Food Insecurity Among College Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of College Student Development. 2023;64:102–7. Ahmed T, Ilieva RT, Shane J, Reader S, Aleong C, Wong HY, et al. A Developing Crisis in Hunger: Food Insecurity within 3 Public Colleges before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition. 2023;18:1–20. Brunsting NC, Zachry C, Takeuchi R. Predictors of undergraduate international student psychosocial adjustment to US universities: A systematic review from 2009-2018. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 2018;66:22–33. Lederer AM, Hoban MT, Lipson SK, Zhou S, Eisenberg D. More Than Inconvenienced: The Unique Needs of U.S. College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Health Educ Behav. 2021;48:14–9. Ginsburg ZA, Bryan A, Rubinstein EB, Frankel HJ, Maroko AR, Schechter CB, et al. Unreliable and Difficult-to-Access Food for Those in Need: A Qualitative and Quantitative Study of Urban Food Pantries. J Community Health. 2019;44:16–31. Food Pantries Ease Food Insecurity on College Campuses [Internet]. [cited 2024 Sep 27]. Available from: https://www.afmc.org/blog/college-food-insecurity Brito-Silva F de K, Wang W, Moore CE, Warren C, Miketinas DC, Tucker WJ, et al. College Campus Food Pantry Program Evaluation: What Barriers Do Students Face to Access On-Campus Food Pantries? Nutrients. 2022;14:2807. Idehai OV, Mbaya P, Chung T, Bhurosy T. A systematic review of factors associated with student use of campus food pantries: implications for addressing barriers and facilitating use. BMC Public Health. 2024;24:97. Marshall MN. Sampling for qualitative research. Fam Pract. 1996;13:522–6. Collins M, Shattell M, Thomas SP. Problematic Interviewee Behaviors in Qualitative Research. West J Nurs Res. 2005;27:188–99. Matteson SM, Lincoln YS. Using Multiple Interviewers in Qualitative Research Studies: The Influence of Ethic of Care Behaviors in Research Interview Settings. Qualitative Inquiry. 2009;15:659–74. Lo Iacono V, Symonds P, Brown DHK. Skype as a Tool for Qualitative Research Interviews. Sociological Research Online. 2016;21:103–17. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files InterviewGuide.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 27 Jan, 2025 Read the published version in BMC Nutrition → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 06 Jan, 2025 Reviews received at journal 27 Dec, 2024 Reviews received at journal 27 Dec, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Dec, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Dec, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Dec, 2024 Reviews received at journal 03 Dec, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Nov, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Nov, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 19 Nov, 2024 Editor invited by journal 30 Oct, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 24 Oct, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 24 Oct, 2024 First submitted to journal 22 Oct, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5312729","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":373033614,"identity":"beeef84b-61db-49fd-8621-4401ff6c938a","order_by":0,"name":"Alvin Tran","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA0ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYNCCCiCWgHEOEFLNBiLOkKyFsY0ULfzzex9+Lpx3R87gdvMziY87GOT4biTg1yJxjN1Yeua2Z8YGd46ZSc48w2AsSUgLwzE2BmnebYcTt91IMDbmbWNI3EBIi/wxNubfvHMO12+7kf7Z+G8bQz1BLQbH2NikeRsOJ5jdyDF8DAyHBANCWgyPpbFZ8xw7bLj/Rk7hw942CcOZZx7g1yJ3+BjzbZ6aw/KSM9I3HPjZZiPPd5yALehAgrCSUTAKRsEoGAWEAQBxVEYvnHFzSAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"University of New Haven","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alvin","middleName":"","lastName":"Tran","suffix":""},{"id":373033617,"identity":"d326f706-6468-4d4e-b6be-8a87df8f36e4","order_by":1,"name":"Muskan Kohli","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of New Haven","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Muskan","middleName":"","lastName":"Kohli","suffix":""},{"id":373033619,"identity":"38270bf6-7b9e-4b85-b07b-b10e64bb0cbf","order_by":2,"name":"Aishwarya Sreenivasan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of New Haven","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Aishwarya","middleName":"","lastName":"Sreenivasan","suffix":""},{"id":373033620,"identity":"c06ceb37-1c26-4683-8ff8-dac2a2627120","order_by":3,"name":"Selena Chom","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of New Haven","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Selena","middleName":"","lastName":"Chom","suffix":""},{"id":373033622,"identity":"4612e905-b3b3-450d-b6d0-c68646339558","order_by":4,"name":"Dhaani Dhaani","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of New Haven","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Dhaani","middleName":"","lastName":"Dhaani","suffix":""},{"id":373033623,"identity":"399de064-e3b2-4624-b8a2-aa15a15f63b7","order_by":5,"name":"Neeko Rosette","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of New Haven","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Neeko","middleName":"","lastName":"Rosette","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-10-22 14:38:27","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5312729/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5312729/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01009-1","type":"published","date":"2025-01-27T15:57:53+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":75351328,"identity":"d681eba4-cb8a-4d0e-8473-9b0f5e722654","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-02-03 16:09:37","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":710232,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5312729/v1/19e26bd5-6146-40c1-ada9-548d54325a5c.pdf"},{"id":68288605,"identity":"9e498e40-e7b5-42de-b22c-8353396c30bc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-11-05 16:44:57","extension":"docx","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":101994,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"InterviewGuide.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5312729/v1/9bab448ec8e422f04f63cb50.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Supporting Students through the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perspectives of Food Pantry Workers","fulltext":[{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eFood insecurity affects a number of diverse communities across the United States (U.S.). Defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the lack of consistent access to sufficient food to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle, food insecurity affects an estimated 33.8\u0026nbsp;million Americans as of 2021 [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. The prevalence of food insecurity also varies considerably by demographic background and household characteristics. For example, in the U.S., households with children, households with children headed by a single parent, and households with Black, non-Hispanic and Hispanic individuals demonstrated higher rates of food insecurity compared to the national average [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. Another group that is disproportionately impacted by food insecurity are students attending U.S. colleges and universities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies have documented a concerning prevalence of food insecurity among college students, with estimated rates falling between 20 to 50 percent - a proportion much higher than that of the U.S. population [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. Results from the 2021 #RealCollege Survey, which involves more than 500 colleges and universities and over 500,000 students across the country, estimate that 39% and 29% of students at two-year and four-year institutions report being food insecure, respectively [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. Beyond its associated health consequences, such as anemia, nutritional deficiency, poor sleep, diminished mental health, and limitations to perform activities of daily life (e.g., bathing and dressing), food insecurity in college students is associated with impediments to academic performance and changes in coping behaviors, such as borrowing money, altering eating patterns, and deferring bill payments [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR6 CR7 CR8 CR9\" citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]. College students vulnerable to food insecurity are often first-generation, come from unstable housing situations, reside in lower socioeconomic communities, and belong to marginalized populations, including racial/ethnic and sexual minority groups [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. These disparities in food insecurity in college students were further exacerbated in many parts of the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnpredictable and unanticipated events, including natural disasters and disruptions in employment, are associated with experiences of food insecurity [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. In response to the pandemic, many institutions of higher education transitioned from on-ground to online modes of instruction [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]; some institutions even closed their campuses entirely, which, despite the documented rise of students experiencing food insecurity [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e], resulted in limited or fully restricted access to key resources, including on-campus food pantries [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. For example, many institutions of higher education closed on-campus dining services and cafeterias, paused student employment opportunities, and restricted other key sources of support that further caused students to experience financial hardships leading to income loss, increased social isolation, heightened anxiety levels, and altered appetite [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR18 CR19\" citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e]. Adding another layer of burden were hardships related to the eligibility criteria to accessing federal food assistance programs [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR22\" citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]. The U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was created to provide food benefits to U.S. citizens experiencing food insecurity and enable them to afford and access nutritious food [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]. However, SNAP requires individuals to work at least 20 hours per week within the last 6 months, therefore, presenting a significant barrier to accessing a resource to mitigate the experiences of food insecurity in several populations in the U.S., including students [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]. Furthermore, international students, who represent nearly 5 percent of the total enrollment of American institutions of higher education, are excluded from SNAP benefits and many federally funded food resources, leaving them at a heightened risk of experiencing long-term food insecurity [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students, research assessing its impact on food security support services remains limited [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. In a qualitative analysis involving semi-structured interviews with 12 students at one Midwestern public research university, Elmira Jangjou (2022) suggested students faced a number of hardships and experienced income loss, self-isolation, anxiety, and appetite changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. With on-campus food pantries closing, students reported devising short-term solutions to address their nutritional needs, including soliciting support from family and friends and accessing available safety net programs to mitigate experiences with food insecurity (i.e., SNAP) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. In addition, researchers at Fairfield University in Connecticut interviewed food pantry managers to gauge how they responded to the COVID-19 pandemic [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. Although their study did not focus on institutions of higher education, List and colleagues (2021) found that food pantry managers across two cities experienced staffing shortages, challenges managing crowds, and concerns over food quality [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. While studies have explored students' perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to their experiences with food insecurity and utilization of on-campus support services [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e], we are not aware of any research assessing the insights of food pantry managers or staff members on college and university campuses.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur study aims to fill an existing knowledge gap and address calls from published research to investigate the viewpoints of staff members, including managers, of food pantries in educational environments [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]. In particular, we aim to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food pantries of colleges and universities across the state of Connecticut - where our research team is based. In a study involving college students in Connecticut, the overall prevalence of food insecurity was a staggering 59%, with two-year colleges having a statistically significant higher number of food insecure students (61%) compared to their four-year counterparts (57%) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e]. Given that existing studies have explored students\u0026rsquo; perspective on the pandemic, including their experiences with food insecurity [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e], we particularly explored the perceptions of individuals overseeing and staffing campus food pantries. Our research team believes the perspective of staff members and supervisors of food pantries will provide valuable insight and lessons learned from navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, as experts anticipate our global population to experience future and inevitable public health threats and emergencies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur overarching qualitative research objectives include the following:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo compare staff members\u0026rsquo; perceptions on the impact of COVID-19 on college food pantries across two- and four-year colleges and universities in Connecticut;\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo provide recommendations to improve campus food pantries access, services, and resources on college and university campuses in navigating through future public health threats.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eWe conducted a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with staff members, including directors and supervisors, of food pantries located on the campuses of colleges and universities in the state of Connecticut. Participants also completed a short post-interview survey assessing demographic information and perspectives on food insecurity-related issues impacting their respective college or university. The University of New Haven Institutional Review Board approved this study (#2022-025). Our research team consisted of four masters of public health students (DD, SC, MK, AS), one undergraduate graduate student (NK), and a public health nutrition researcher trained in mixed methods research (AT).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eParticipants and Data Collection\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eBetween March and June 2022, we contacted food pantry directors and staff members of various Connecticut colleges and universities and asked them to participate in a qualitative study exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on campus food pantries. Using purposive sampling [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e], our research team identified staff members of college food pantries through their institutions\u0026rsquo; respective websites or social media (i.e., LinkedIn). We also identified potential participants through the nonprofit organization, Swipe Out Hunger (Swipe Hunger), that publicly lists the contact information of food pantries across the country, including those based in Connecticut [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]. Eligibility for our study was limited to staff members, paid or unpaid, of college and university food pantries in Connecticut. A total of 21 colleges and universities in Connecticut were contacted, of which 12 expressed interest and participated in the study. In addition to an interview, participants also completed a short, self-administered post-interview survey that collected demographic information regarding their institution, food pantry utilization, and other essential information regarding food insecurity. All participants provided written consent and were given a \u003cspan\u003e$\u003c/span\u003e35 gift card for their participation. Two Master of Public Health students (DD, SC), who received training in qualitative research, conducted the interviews remotely via Zoom or telephone. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim and imported into MAXQDA, a qualitative analysis software [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e]. The approximate length of each interview was 60 minutes. Furthermore, the two interviewers wrote memos throughout the data collection process, which allowed them to maintain a reflexive stance and retain ideas that may otherwise be lost [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur research team developed a semi-structured interview guide based on the existing literature on food insecurity experiences and food pantry utilization in college students [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e], including those focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. The guide included a series of 10 open-ended questions and covered topics ranging from the history of the respective food pantry, trends of pantry usage, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to recommendations and suggestions for improvement. Example questions include the following: \"What are the known barriers your food pantry faces in reaching out to students?\u0026rdquo;; \"What are the trends that you have observed in regard to utilization of your food pantry?\"; \"How is the food pantry helping students facing food insecurity\"; and \"What advice would you give to other colleges who want to start a food pantry in their colleges?\" Our research team pre-tested the interview guide using a small sample of university faculty and staff members and students, refining it for clarity and content. The final interview guide is provided as Supplemental Material.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAfter completing our twelfth and final interview, our research team achieved data saturation - the point at which we collectively determined that additional interviews would most likely yield repetitive data and not provide novel insights or themes [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e]. We particularly chose to analyze our 12 interview transcripts using a template organizing approach that allows us to create a codebook of both inductive and deductive codes from an existing guiding framework [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]. This approach, which is flexible in nature, also allowed us to follow emergent themes and draw comparisons between groups, as one of our research objectives was to compare the experiences of staff members of food pantries at two- and four-year colleges and universities [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur research team used a team-based approach in developing a preliminary codebook [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e]. MK, AS, NR, and AT met over a series of meetings over the summer of 2023 to immerse themselves into the data by individually reading a subsample of transcripts, and then creating, discussing, and refining a list of preliminary codes. We also developed codes using the findings from Price and colleagues (2019) who explored unique challenges of 16 college food pantries based in the state of Michigan [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. All codes were given a mnemonic, definition, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and at least one example drawn from the data [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]. MK, AS, and NR then individually applied the preliminary codebook to a subset of transcripts, proposed coding revisions, and met collectively with AT to resolve any disagreements. To assess the level of agreement between independent coders and finalize the codebook, the senior author used an intercoder agreement function through MAXQDA to ensure a kappa value indicating fair to good agreement was obtained [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e]. The final codebook is also available as Supplemental Material.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe research team applied the final codebook to analyze all 12 interview transcripts using MAXQDA and met periodically to group the codes into proposed themes relating to the guiding research questions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e describes the characteristics of the 12 colleges and universities as well as their respective representatives that participated in our study. Our research team interviewed 7 representatives from four-year institutions and 5 from two-year institutions. On an interviewee level, 7 participants identified as female and 5 as male. The majority identified as either staff members (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9) or administrators (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1). Participants were also asked about their perceived severity of food insecurity at their respective institutions, of which 11 out of 12 believed the issue to be at least a moderate problem.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics of Interviews and their respective college food pantries (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;12)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eType of College/University\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4-year\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2-year\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (58)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (42)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrivate vs. Public Status\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePublic\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrivate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (58)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (42)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSex of Participant Interviewed\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (58)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (42)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCurrent Role \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFaculty member\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStaff member\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdministrator\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (17)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9 (75)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLength of time working at respective institution food pantry\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLess than a year\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u0026ndash;3 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u0026ndash;6 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMore than 6 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (17)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (33)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (33)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (17)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFood pantry provides students with information about SNAP, WIC, OR TANF?\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9 (75)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (25)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFood insecurity a problem among your student population?\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNot a problem\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMinor problem\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate problem\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSerious problem\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0 (0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (58)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (33)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[Insert Table ]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on our thematic analysis of the interviews, we identified four central themes:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ePersistent Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic Barriers to Food Pantry Utilization\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eInnovative Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eInternational Students\u0026rsquo; Reliance on Food Pantries at Four-Year Colleges and Universities\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemand for Non-Food-Related Resources\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTheme 1: Persistent Pre-COVID-19 Barriers to Food Pantry Utilization\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile the majority of respondents highlighted food insecurity to be a significant concern in their respective student populations, many emphasized that barriers to the utilization of their pantries existed before and continued to persist after the COVID-19 pandemic.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSubthemes include the following: 1) Stigma of food pantry use and 2) Staffing shortages and physical space.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStigma of food pantry use\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eRepresentatives interviewed for our study frequently cited stigma as a key barrier to students accessing their food pantry services. One four-year university representative explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eWhat are some of the stigmas? Why don\u0026rsquo;t people wanna come here? What\u0026rsquo;s going on? And it just ended up being that some of them were too prideful, some of them were embarrassed. They were ashamed that they felt like they did something wrong. They felt like everybody has this underlying [belief] I\u0026rsquo;m not good enough, I can\u0026rsquo;t even provide for my family. These are all quotes from conversations that we had with students and all these cognitive distortions that they were projecting and stuff out loud. So, we had to have this conversation.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA representative from a two-year college added instructors, such as faculty members, often perpetuate the stigma around pantry use. He explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eWithin our campus community we have a lot of professors who, maybe they finished their formal education in the \u0026lsquo;50s, \u0026lsquo;60s, or \u0026lsquo;70s, and they\u0026rsquo;ve been teaching ever since. They\u0026rsquo;re wonderful in the classroom, but they didn\u0026rsquo;t notice that the world around them changed, and they didn\u0026rsquo;t grow with it. So, they\u0026rsquo;ll be like, \u0026ldquo;You can\u0026rsquo;t have students just coming in for food. I got through on ramen noodles. They can do it too.\u0026rdquo; No, it\u0026rsquo;s a different world. It\u0026rsquo;s a different world. Plus, we have so much income inequality. A third of the food that we produce nationwide never gets distributed. So, why should that be?\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBut in the height of the pandemic, as some universities and colleges sought innovative solutions to support students experiencing food insecurity, concerns around stigma persisted. One four-year university representative said students were hesitant to use grocery store gift cards that their respective food pantries provided as a result of campuses shutting down:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eWe\u0026rsquo;ve had some trouble with students who are worried about going into the grocery store with a gift card and people will look at them negatively.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStaffing shortages and physical space\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany interviewees acknowledged that staffing shortages, as well as not having a physical space, continued to be significant challenges their respective food pantries face. Due to staffing shortages and reliance on student volunteers, one two-year representative said his food pantry limited its hours of operation even though he believes services should be expanded. He explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eQuality staffing is the biggest barrier right now because our food pantry should be open much more frequently for our evening students. But I\u0026rsquo;m just stuck. There's nothing I can do until we resolve this volunteering issue that we have to get them. And the issue basically is this.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreexisting staffing shortages, however, continued and, for some interviewees, worsened as the pandemic also contributed to furloughs and even fewer people to support the operation of food pantries. As the need for food pantry support grew among students, some campuses reportedly did not have enough staff to meet that growing demand. One representative at a four-year college explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eWhen we opened back up, we realized that, oh and then people were getting furloughed, people were getting furloughed left and right. That kind of made our operation hard because we just didn\u0026rsquo;t have the people. Because the people got furloughed, but the work didn\u0026rsquo;t.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition to staffing shortages, the physical location of on-campus food pantries was also a significant challenge. Representatives from both two- and four-year institutions expressed frustration around not having a permanent or ideal physical space for their food pantries. Not only was space an issue prior to the start of the pandemic, it became more of a nuisance in the midst of the public health emergency. For some institutions, food pantries were often located in areas that were not frequently used by students or had a physical appearance that deterred utilization. One representative from a four-year institution shared:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eSo, right at the beginning of COVID, our pantry wasn\u0026rsquo;t really an operation. It was just kind of in our manufacturing building. It kind of looks like a car-fixing place in the corner of campus, and it wasn\u0026rsquo;t really accessible to students. But when the pandemic hit us, it hit us hard. And a lot of [students] disclosed food insecurity because they couldn\u0026rsquo;t work. A lot of them worked in malls, and stuff like that. \u0026hellip; So, that was kinda tough. So, when we opened back up, we realized we can\u0026rsquo;t keep operating in the garage. We have to find a bigger place.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, food pantries were often in shared spaces with other university services, which presented constraints around capacity and limited the hours of operations. But, the pandemic resulted in a heightened demand for support around food insecurity and some universities were forced to quickly identify new spaces on campus to provide the necessary resources to students. One four-year university representative explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eBecause during that time, because of the restrictions to how our space could be used and how many people could be in it, we just turned the whole Resource Center into a free store. And so, that's the largest our pantry has ever been, was actually during that time. \u0026hellip; Yeah, I actually think that was the most consistent we had people coming to the Resource Center, just to access the pantry. One, to some extent, I thought it was because, obviously, we're in a pandemic, especially in the earlier days, in 2020, you really couldn't go anywhere, right? You literally could not leave campus.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnother four-year university representative added:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eYeah, so we did have barriers to space. We weren\u0026rsquo;t sure that this space would be permanent. So, the campus has a pantry because they do a lot of events pre-COVID, so that worked in my favor of accessing that space. They think, going forward, it\u0026rsquo;ll probably still be housed there and that we\u0026rsquo;ll share space with the caterers and things like that. So, space is a challenge. I think it needs its own free-standing space.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTheme 2: Innovative Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a result of the pandemic, many universities and colleges closed their campuses and consequentially restricted students\u0026rsquo; access to on-campus food insecurity resources. This prompted on-campus pantry staff to identify and implement innovative strategies to get food and additional resources (e.g., hygiene products) to students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to a representative from a community college-based food pantry, he and members of his team scheduled times for students to pick up food - although of limited variety - at one of their homes. He explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eWe had to get shut down because of state policies when COVID came, and we closed the campus. But, myself and a couple of other partners who work on campus, because we still had some strong networks \u0026hellip; We were still able to go around and get food. And ask students to, if they had a car come to my house at a certain time and they could take a whole bunch of food. I didn\u0026rsquo;t necessarily have the variety of the food sovereignty, but we had a lot of food.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnother community college representative organized what they called \u0026ldquo;pop-up drive-throughs.\u0026rdquo; She explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eWe tried this pop-up drive-through, like a mini version. Except the weather was raining that day, and it was the middle of the pandemic. We'll probably do that again and work with the student senate and have a day where you could just drive up with your car, and we'll have a clipboard. Fill out the information, and we just put the stuff in your trunk. And you move along. But it's weather dependent.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGiven the closure of their respective food pantries, one four-year university opted to provide virtual gift cards and other non-physical food insecurity services to students. She shared:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eInstead of having everything in person, we shifted to virtual support. So, we were able to distribute e-gift cards to retailers, to local retailers. We reached out to Stop \u0026amp; Shop for additional gift cards that we could mail to students. And then, we started doing meal swipes through Sodexo and the Swipe Out Hunger Program.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThus, due to campus closures and concerns around the spread of COVID-19, university and college representatives continued to address concerns around their students\u0026rsquo; experiences with food insecurity. While pick-up or drop-off efforts were utilized, weather and food variety were described as impediments to success.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eTheme 3: International Students\u0026rsquo; Reliance on Food Pantries at Four-Year Colleges and Universities\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAt several four-year institutions, interviewees frequently identified international students as a population that most often utilized their food pantry\u0026rsquo;s services. According to two representatives of four-year universities, international students were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as many faced significant challenges, including travel and work restrictions. One representative explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eWe\u0026rsquo;ve tried to be really careful because one of the things that the pandemic brought up was that the international students were sort of stuck here during the pandemic. They couldn\u0026rsquo;t go home. Our dining halls were closed and we sort of said to them like okay you can live here, but we didn\u0026rsquo;t give them a way to eat. So, our international students were really good about saying to me can we use the food pantry, and I\u0026rsquo;d be like yes, but only if you tell me what I need to put in the food pantry because maybe you don\u0026rsquo;t like peanut butter and mac and cheese.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnother four-year university representative shared that international students, even prior to the pandemic, were already relying on her campus food pantry. She explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eSo, the largest population of students that use our program are graduate international students. That\u0026rsquo;s largely in part because they don\u0026rsquo;t have the additional finances to support additional costs outside of tuition, and the immediate costs associated with their education, as well as housing. So, that\u0026rsquo;s where a large portion of their funds are going towards. And they\u0026rsquo;re often faced with the decision of what to do next. So, we do see a large portion of graduate international students, and then we do have a smaller amount of domestic students who do use the service, and the program.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt should be noted, however, that domestic students continued to rely on food pantry services at both two- and four-year institutions. At two-year institutions, many representatives noted the demographic composition of those relying on their pantries were often students who were parents, had dependents, and would be soliciting food for their entire families as opposed to only themselves.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eTheme 4: Demand for Non-Food-Related Resources\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFollowing the COVID-19 pandemic, interviewees shared valuable lessons learned from their experiences supporting students facing food insecurity. In particular, they shared that their student clientele presented needs beyond the food resources their on-campus pantries generally provide. For instance, interviewees emphasized the need for institutional support in terms of ensuring adequate staffing to run food pantries. Such staff members, many said, are pivotal not only to support students facing food insecurity but other challenges to their wellbeing, including their mental health. One representative explained that she viewed her role as a food pantry staffer as one having some responsibilities of a social worker. She explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eI sort of work like a social worker. That would be a great resource to have a dedicated social worker who oversaw sort of an area. It\u0026rsquo;s sort of a basic needs hub is the way I think about it, so food, housing. We\u0026rsquo;ve had a number of students who will come in, and they\u0026rsquo;ll talk about food, and they\u0026rsquo;ll say I just got kicked out of my house. And that\u0026rsquo;s why I need food. And I\u0026rsquo;m like well, hold on. Don\u0026rsquo;t you need housing? And I can make some calls. We have done that. I\u0026rsquo;ve made some calls and connected. But if there were someone here whose job it was, I think they would have better questions to ask. And so, a basic needs hub that would cover food, hygiene, clothing for interviews, transportation home, a death in the family kind of transportation home, food, healthcare, I think that kind of basic needs hub would be my dream for where this would go next.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile many interviewees saw an elevated usage of their food pantries, some emphasized students were experiencing more than food access challenges. For example, students were struggling with mental health concerns and economic difficulties that existed before and were exacerbated following the pandemic. A four-year university representative explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eThere were already a lot of issues before COVID, but now, you have more economic insecurity. We have more food insecurity. We have more mental health problems. We have all these sorts of crises that need to be addressed, and students need help in these key areas. Are they going to do this? I don\u0026rsquo;t know, but we\u0026rsquo;re still pushing for it. It\u0026rsquo;s just hard. I mean, you need people to run it that are trained to work with students because students will ultimately be staffing it, and that\u0026rsquo;s fine, but you need one key person overseeing it, and you need consistent students because we\u0026rsquo;ve had such variation.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition, one representative from a two-year college expressed the need to support students who may also be experiencing homelessness, which intersects with food insecurity.\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eAnd sometimes a different type of a barrier is homeless students. Yeah, they can take as much food as they want, but where they gonna keep it? Where they gonna cook? I observed it and noted it, but the United Way did a statewide youth count and they determined that 25% of our young people are homeless. Which may be higher on community college campuses because students try to hide that fact. So, it could be as high as 30 to 35% of community college students being homeless.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile the COVID-19 pandemic restricted food access to students, interviewees stressed the importance of food pantries in providing other resources. They also added students often struggled to find safe sources of drinking water as water fountains and dispensers were often shut down. One four-year university representative explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eI believe what the students need the most probably is what they\u0026rsquo;ve been also asking for is water. \u0026lsquo;Cause they\u0026rsquo;re in COVID they have shut off \u0026ndash; these are our resident students. They have shut off the water fountains in the buildings. So, nobody\u0026rsquo;s putting their mouth to the water fountain while COVID is going on. So, they were asking for things like water bottles so that they can have water to drink and stuff like that. So, I think they\u0026rsquo;re more asking and what they need more of nutritious things that they can have to build up that calorie intake.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Interviewees also shared that their pantries often provided personal hygiene products (e.g., shampoos, deodorant, etc.) and other essential items (e.g., warm clothes). Thus, the closure of campus-based food pantries would not only restrict student access to food, but also other necessities that may not always be apparent.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis research explored the unique perspectives of staff members working at food pantries on the campuses of two-year and four-year colleges and universities in the state of Connecticut, focusing particularly on their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study specifically compared the staff members\u0026rsquo; perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on their respective college food pantries, highlighting key themes and presenting lessons learned should academic institutions find themselves having to navigate through future public health threats. In particular, the study\u0026rsquo;s focus on food pantry workers builds upon prior studies that have explored solely students' perceptions around food insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of academic institutions and workplaces posed several challenges for students, encompassing financial loss, physical and mental health impact, and exacerbating food insecurity, increasing reliance on food pantries for support [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. Despite food insecurity being heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic on many academic institution campuses [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e44\u003c/span\u003e], food pantries were frequently deemed non-essential services and closed along with many colleges and universities [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e]. Our interviews with staff members across 12 colleges and universities across Connecticut corroborated the findings of existing studies that found food insecurity as a pervasive public health issue in students before, during, and after the pandemic.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile each academic institution interviewed in our study faced unique circumstances, they shared the common objective of providing support to their students in accessing food insecurity support services. In response to pandemic-related access restrictions to on-campus food pantries, for example, several staff members expressed resilience and deployed a myriad of strategies to support students, ranging from administering virtual gift cards to grocery stores to implementing pre-scheduled food pick-up programs from school or individual homes, facilitating curbside deliveries, and arranging drop-offs for students without cars or transportation barriers.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn investigating the utilization patterns of campus pantries, our study highlighted distinct demographic differences as well as unique needs between each academic institution type (two- and four-year colleges). We particularly noticed the emphasis on international students and their struggles with food insecurity on the campus for four-year institutions. International students coming to the United States are already facing a number of challenges, such as homesickness and acculturative stress [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e45\u003c/span\u003e]. Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic elevate food insecurity, but reports of discrimination towards international students from Asian countries were also documented across colleges and universities nationwide [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e46\u003c/span\u003e]. The participants of our study frequently described international students as one of the key populations utilizing their respective food pantries. Following the closures of campuses (including dining halls and cafeterias) and challenges in traveling to their respective home countries, international students relied heavily on on-campus food pantry services unless they were forced to shut down during the pandemic. This phenomenon of international students and food pantry utilization was mentioned across both public and private four-year institutions interviewed in our study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, it was observed that most of the two-year colleges, in contrast to their four-year counterparts, extended support not just to students but also to families, especially during times of unemployment, by allowing students to take food home for their family members. Two-year institutions appeared to focus their food pantry services on catering to students enrolled in evening classes, those working during the day, and those who are also parents. Considering students at two-year institutions and their unique challenges (e.g., balancing full-time work and education, financial constraints, etc.), on-campus pantries should consider removing barriers to access and utilization. Such efforts may include extending hours of operation, including offering weekend hours [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e47\u003c/span\u003e]. Students at two-year colleges may also demonstrate greater need for services on-campus pantries provide, yet often lack the knowledge of how to utilize these services [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e48\u003c/span\u003e]. Thus, efforts are needed not only to ensure an effective implementation of on-campus pantries but to also market them to increase awareness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile our study focused on the perspectives of on-campus food pantry workers, many participants noted that the challenges to accessing their food insecurity support services were not a result of COVID-19; they existed before the pandemic and perpetuated as a result. This insight aligned with existing research supporting similar observations that barriers to support services to on-campus food pantries existed prior to the pandemic [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. While such studies highlighted financial and time constraints as major barriers for students to food security, our study further accentuated a few distinct barriers. For example, the stigma associated with the usage of these services persisted, both prior to and amid the pandemic. The staff members our research team interviewed reported that students often felt embarrassed to be seen publicly using such services due to concerns around negative perceptions from peers, and added students felt overwhelmed by the notion of seeking assistance. What was also a concern was a statement from one interviewee who described a particular instructor who further perpetuated the stigma around the utilization of on-campus food pantries. Thus, with increasing demand for their services, on-campus pantries will need to consider how to overcome concerns over social stigma. When realizing students felt a lot of shame in coming to their on-campus pantry and leaving with traditional bags of food, a representative from a four-year institution began offering colorful tote bags aimed at not identifying them as those in need. Separately, academic institutions across the country are also piloting programs to normalize food pantry usage by collaborating with on campus counseling centers and other academic divisions to rebrand their pantries as food grocery stores [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e49\u003c/span\u003e]. Campuses, whether they are two- or four-year colleges, need to evaluate their existing marketing strategies around their food pantries to ensure their messaging does not promote structural stigma and contribute to students\u0026rsquo; feelings of embarrassment [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e50\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimilarly, interviewees also described the prevalence of misinformation around food pantry utilization, particularly students\u0026rsquo; encompassed fears of losing financial aid or concerns about the quality of products distributed, claiming pantries were providing \u0026ldquo;mystery meat\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;moldy bread.\u0026rdquo; Furthermore, several interviewees described ongoing challenges related to staffing shortages, citing a lack of reliable, committed, and responsible personnel as a significant barrier to maintaining constant operations for their respective food pantries. In line with prior research, food pantry space and location emerged as a significant challenge for food pantry staff [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. Not only did some interviewees expressed concerns about not having adequate space, as some pantries were housed in areas that were deemed too small or were shared with competing on-campus services. In one conversation with a pantry worker of a four-year university, her institution had allocated a physical space in the basement of a secluded building that provided students more privacy, was more accessible, and aimed at reducing the stigma of pantry use. Another interviewee, however, suggested food pantries be placed in a more centralized location more frequented by students to increase their visibility. This contrasting viewpoint of the ideal physical space of food pantries was also discussed in a qualitative study by Price and colleagues (2020), which included interviews with food pantry representatives in Michigan, though no clear consensus or solution was provided. In a 2024 systematic review assessing barriers and facilitators of campus food pantries, flexibility, food quality, and awareness through positive messaging were identified as key facilitators. In particular, on-campus pantries were more successful in student utilization if they had flexible hours of operation, an online ordering system, provided fresh and culturally-familiar food items, and implemented positive messaging through trusted individuals (e.g., student peer advisors, faculty, and staff) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e50\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOverall, the interviews with twelve unique food pantry staff members of Connecticut-based college and university yielded lessons learned for navigating through a public health emergency. Recognizing the intersection between food insecurity and other public health concerns - from mental health to economic instability - food pantry workers emphasized the need for reliable, competent staff. One interviewee suggested additional training for staff to handle diverse student needs, as another emphasized the multidisciplinary role of a food pantry worker. In particular, food pantry workers may often take on responsibilities that overlap with those of a social worker, as they are also offering or connecting students to other resources, such as housing and mental health services. As with prior research, creating paid opportunities (e.g., pantry director roles) or hiring work-study students (as opposed to relying solely on volunteers), may help to mitigate staffing shortages [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. Partnering with on-campus departments, such as nutrition or social work programs, may also provide educational opportunities, raise awareness around pantry services, and reduce staffing concerns (i.e., student volunteers and internship opportunities) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite many academic institutions deeming food pantry services as non-essential, the threat of closure persists post-pandemic, prompting the need for contingency plans. Evidently, the closure of pantries will not only impact food services but also jeopardize student employment opportunities, including federal work-study opportunities and part-time positions. Furthermore, as highlighted throughout several interviews, food pantry services extended beyond providing food items during the pandemic, as many offered personal hygiene products (e.g., shaving kits, soaps, body wash), stationery items (e.g., books, notebooks, pens, etc.), and provided safe drinking water in response to campuses shutting down drinking fountains and water bottle filling stations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlthough our study offers unique insight, it is not without limitations. While generalizability is not often sought or feasible in qualitative studies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e51\u003c/span\u003e], we limited our recruitment of participants to food pantry workers of colleges and universities based in Connecticut. It is possible that academic institutions in other parts of the country may yield unique challenges around food insecurity and food pantry services; other states may have varying levels of resources, policies, and support systems for addressing food insecurity. Despite this limitation, we acknowledge our findings corroborated those of existing studies conducted in other geographic locations, particularly around food pantry challenges around awareness, staffing, and physical location [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. Furthermore, our study involved semi-structured interviews with twelve representatives working at an on-campus food pantry. This subjected our study to potential social desirability response bias [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e52\u003c/span\u003e]. Our research team, however, anticipated this potential bias by training our interviewer and notetaker to use our pilot-tested interview guide and conduct one-on-one, qualitative interviews. The use of a consistent interviewer may reduce the likelihood of obtaining varying interactions between interview participants and the researcher, which have been documented in studies involving multiple interviewers [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e53\u003c/span\u003e]. Finally, our interviews were conducted between March and June 2022 - a period where participants opted for a virtual interview format. The use of teleconferencing services, such as Zoom and Skype, may hinder the interviewer\u0026rsquo;s ability to identify non-verbal cues [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e54\u003c/span\u003e]. However, the use of virtual interviews may have been more convenient for our interviewees and reduced transportation barriers as the academic institutions represented in our study were scattered throughout the state of Connecticut. Despite these limitations, the study contributes valuable qualitative insights into the challenges of addressing food insecurity on college campuses, offering a foundation for future research and improvements in support services.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOverall, given the inevitability of future public health threats and pandemics [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e], universities and colleges must take proactive measures to fortify their preparedness. Our research underscores the importance of lessons gleaned by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly through the lens of on-campus food pantry workers. Their unique insight and lessons learned ought to be considered when academic institutions deliberate allocating resources and making key decisions to help mitigate food insecurity concerns on their campuses.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki and all procedures involving human subjects were approved by the\u0026nbsp;University of New Haven Institutional Review Board\u0026nbsp;(#2022-025).\u0026nbsp;Voluntary informed consent was obtained from all subjects.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to confidentiality and privacy for participants but data collection tools available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was supported by a University of New Haven Research Fund.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026apos; contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAT conceptualized the research question, data analysis, wrote the majority of the paper, and oversaw all phases of the study. MK and AS analyzed the data and contributed to the writing of the manuscript. SC and DD conducted the data collection. NR assisted in analyzing the data.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUSDA ERS - Key Statistics \u0026amp; Graphics [Internet]. [cited 2023 Jun 15]. Available from: https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/key-statistics-graphics/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUSDA ERS - Definitions of Food Security [Internet]. [cited 2023 Jun 13]. Available from: https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/definitions-of-food-security/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFreudenberg N, Goldrick-Rab S, Poppendieck J. College Students and SNAP: The New Face of Food Insecurity in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2019;109:1652\u0026ndash;8. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e#RealCollege 2021: Basic Needs Insecurity During the Ongoing Pandemic. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConrad AG, Tolar-Peterson T, Gardner AJ, Wei T, Evans MW. Addressing Food Insecurity: A Qualitative Study of Undergraduate Students\u0026rsquo; Perceptions of Food Access Resources. Nutrients. 2022;14:3517. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHagedorn RL, Olfert MD. Food Insecurity and Behavioral Characteristics for Academic Success in Young Adults Attending an Appalachian University. Nutrients. 2018;10:361. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHagedorn RL, McArthur LH, Hood LB, Berner M, Anderson Steeves ET, Connell CL, et al. Expenditure, Coping, and Academic Behaviors among Food-Insecure College Students at 10 Higher Education Institutes in the Appalachian and Southeastern Regions. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2019;3:nzz058. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHagedorn RL, Walker AE, Wattick RA, Olfert MD. Newly Food-Insecure College Students in Appalachia During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2022;54:202\u0026ndash;10. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRaskind IG, Haard\u0026ouml;rfer R, Berg CJ. Food insecurity, psychosocial health and academic performance among college and university students in Georgia, USA. Public Health Nutr. 2019;22:476\u0026ndash;85. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJones AD. Food Insecurity and Mental Health Status: A Global Analysis of 149 Countries. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2017;53:264\u0026ndash;73. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOwens MR, Brito-Silva F, Kirkland T, Moore CE, Davis KE, Patterson MA, et al. Prevalence and Social Determinants of Food Insecurity among College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nutrients. 2020;12:2515. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrice CE, Watters E, Reppond HA, Sampson NR, Thomas-Brown K. Problem-solving challenges: operating a campus food pantry to improve student success. Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness. 2020;29:47\u0026ndash;56. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFitzpatrick KM, Harris C, Drawve G, Willis DE. Assessing Food Insecurity among US Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Hunger \u0026amp; Environmental Nutrition. 2021;16:1\u0026ndash;18. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKopels MC, Roulette CJ. Food insecurity, diet and mental distress among resource insecure students during COVID-19. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. 2023;11:18\u0026ndash;29. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMilovanska-Farrington S. Job loss and food insecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic. JES. 2023;50:300\u0026ndash;23. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTadesse S, Muluye W. The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Education System in Developing Countries: A Review. JSS. 2020;08:159\u0026ndash;70. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLaska MN, Fleischhacker S, Petsoulis C, Bruening M, Stebleton MJ. Addressing College Food Insecurity: An Assessment of Federal Legislation Before and During Coronavirus Disease-2019. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2020;52:982\u0026ndash;7. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJangjou E. Staying Home, Staying Alive: Campus Food Pantry Student Clients\u0026rsquo; Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Applied Social Science. 2022;16:31\u0026ndash;43. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGoldrick-Rab S, Coca V, Kienzl GS, Welton C, Dahl S, Magnelia S. #RealCollege During the Pandemic: New Evidence on Basic Needs Insecurity and Student Well-Being. 2020 [cited 2023 Jun 18]. Available from: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/%23RealCollege-During-the-Pandemic%3A-New-Evidence-on-Goldrick-Rab-Coca/77e01c19bb8d3781e76ed4576618a125c08a1341\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eForesman B. Here are the U.S. universities that have closed due to coronavirus [Internet]. EdScoop. 2020 [cited 2023 Jun 18]. Available from: https://edscoop.com/universities-closed-due-coronavirus-2020/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBroton KM, Cady CL. Food Insecurity on Campus: Action and Intervention. Johns Hopkins University Press. Johns Hopkins University Press; 2020. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEl Zein A, Mathews AE, House L, Shelnutt KP. Why Are Hungry College Students Not Seeking Help? Predictors of and Barriers to Using an On-Campus Food Pantry. Nutrients. 2018;10:1163. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGoldrick-Rab S. Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream [Internet]. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press; 2017 [cited 2023 Jun 18]. Available from: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo24663096.html\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeith-Jennings B, Llobrera J, Dean S. Links of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program With Food Insecurity, Poverty, and Health: Evidence and Potential. Am J Public Health. 2019;109:1636\u0026ndash;40. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSilver L. Amid pandemic, international student enrollment at U.S. universities fell 15% in the 2020-21 school year [Internet]. Pew Research Center. [cited 2023 Jun 24]. Available from: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/12/06/amid-pandemic-international-student-enrollment-at-u-s-universities-fell-15-in-the-2020-21-school-year/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eList D, Quan M, Cansoy M, Aksan A-M, Delgado J, Argondezzi T, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Pantry Operations. Fairfield University. 2021; \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDoll CL, Millikan R, Neal H. School-Based Food Pantries \u0026amp; the COVID-19 Pandemic: Pantry Organizers Suggest Both Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of Hunger \u0026amp; Environmental Nutrition. 2023;1\u0026ndash;19. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnziano J, Neal L, Zigmont VA. An Examination of Food Insecurity within Connecticut\u0026rsquo;s Public University System. Journal of Poverty. 2023;1\u0026ndash;17. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSalazar CB, Spencer P, Mohamad K, Jabeen A, Abdulmonem WA, Fern\u0026aacute;ndez N. Future pandemics might be caused by bacteria and not viruses: Recent advances in medical preventive practice. Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2022;16:1\u0026ndash;3. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDodds W. Disease Now and Potential Future Pandemics. The World\u0026rsquo;s Worst Problems [Internet]. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2019 [cited 2023 Oct 1]. p. 31\u0026ndash;44. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-030-30410-2_4\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePalinkas LA, Horwitz SM, Green CA, Wisdom JP, Duan N, Hoagwood K. Purposeful Sampling for Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis in Mixed Method Implementation Research. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2015;42:533\u0026ndash;44. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBarbour RS. Checklists for improving rigour in qualitative research: a case of the tail wagging the dog? BMJ. 2001;322:1115\u0026ndash;7. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSwipe Out Hunger - Ending College Food Insecurity [Internet]. Swipe Out Hunger. [cited 2023 Jun 25]. Available from: https://www.swipehunger.org/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMAXQDA | All-In-One Qualitative \u0026amp; Mixed Methods Data Analysis Tool [Internet]. MAXQDA. [cited 2023 Jun 25]. Available from: https://www.maxqda.com/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBirks M, Chapman Y, Francis K. Memoing in qualitative research: Probing data and processes. Journal of Research in Nursing. 2008;13:68\u0026ndash;75. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFusch P, Ness L. Are We There Yet? Data Saturation in Qualitative Research. TQR [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2023 Jun 25]; Available from: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol20/iss9/3/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCrabtree BF, Miller WL, editors. Doing qualitative research. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications; 1999. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCassell C, Symon G. Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research [Internet]. 1 Oliver\u0026rsquo;s Yard, 55 City Road, London EC1Y 1SP United Kingdom: SAGE Publications Ltd; 2004 [cited 2023 Jun 25]. Available from: https://sk.sagepub.com/books/essential-guide-to-qualitative-methods-in-organizational-research\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMacQueen KM, McLellan E, Kay K, Milstein B. Codebook Development for Team-Based Qualitative Analysis. CAM Journal. 1998;10:31\u0026ndash;6. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBernard HR, Wutich A, Ryan GW. Analyzing qualitative data: systematic approaches. Second edition. Los Angeles: SAGE; 2017. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntercoder Agreement [Internet]. MAXQDA. [cited 2024 Sep 11]. Available from: https://www.maxqda.com/help-mx24/coding/problem-intercoder-agreement-qualitative-research\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKendrick A, Fantasia HC, Morse B, Willis DE. Experiences of Food Insecure College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Journal of Hunger \u0026amp; Environmental Nutrition. 2023;1\u0026ndash;14. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSoria KM, Coca V. Food Insecurity Among College Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of College Student Development. 2023;64:102\u0026ndash;7. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAhmed T, Ilieva RT, Shane J, Reader S, Aleong C, Wong HY, et al. A Developing Crisis in Hunger: Food Insecurity within 3 Public Colleges before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Hunger \u0026amp; Environmental Nutrition. 2023;18:1\u0026ndash;20. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrunsting NC, Zachry C, Takeuchi R. Predictors of undergraduate international student psychosocial adjustment to US universities: A systematic review from 2009-2018. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 2018;66:22\u0026ndash;33. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLederer AM, Hoban MT, Lipson SK, Zhou S, Eisenberg D. More Than Inconvenienced: The Unique Needs of U.S. College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Health Educ Behav. 2021;48:14\u0026ndash;9. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGinsburg ZA, Bryan A, Rubinstein EB, Frankel HJ, Maroko AR, Schechter CB, et al. Unreliable and Difficult-to-Access Food for Those in Need: A Qualitative and Quantitative Study of Urban Food Pantries. J Community Health. 2019;44:16\u0026ndash;31. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFood Pantries Ease Food Insecurity on College Campuses [Internet]. [cited 2024 Sep 27]. Available from: https://www.afmc.org/blog/college-food-insecurity\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrito-Silva F de K, Wang W, Moore CE, Warren C, Miketinas DC, Tucker WJ, et al. College Campus Food Pantry Program Evaluation: What Barriers Do Students Face to Access On-Campus Food Pantries? Nutrients. 2022;14:2807. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdehai OV, Mbaya P, Chung T, Bhurosy T. A systematic review of factors associated with student use of campus food pantries: implications for addressing barriers and facilitating use. BMC Public Health. 2024;24:97. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMarshall MN. Sampling for qualitative research. Fam Pract. 1996;13:522\u0026ndash;6. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollins M, Shattell M, Thomas SP. Problematic Interviewee Behaviors in Qualitative Research. West J Nurs Res. 2005;27:188\u0026ndash;99. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMatteson SM, Lincoln YS. Using Multiple Interviewers in Qualitative Research Studies: The Influence of Ethic of Care Behaviors in Research Interview Settings. Qualitative Inquiry. 2009;15:659\u0026ndash;74. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLo Iacono V, Symonds P, Brown DHK. Skype as a Tool for Qualitative Research Interviews. Sociological Research Online. 2016;21:103\u0026ndash;17. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-nutrition","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"nutn","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Nutrition](http://bmcnutr.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/nutn/default.aspx","title":"BMC Nutrition","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"On-campus food pantry, COVID-19, college students, qualitative research, colleges and universities","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5312729/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5312729/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eCollege students in the United States are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity, which is associated with diminished health outcomes and poor academic performance. One key resource to support students through periods of food insecurity are on-campus food pantries, which distribute food, personal hygiene products, and other essential items. But as colleges and universities navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic, many campuses closed their food pantries as the demand for their services among students grew. Few studies, however, have assessed how food pantries at academic institutions navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic to support students. With this knowledge gap in mind, our study objectives included the following: 1) to compare staff members\u0026rsquo; perceptions on the impact of COVID-19 on food pantries of academic institutions; and 2) to provide recommendations to improve campus food pantries in navigating through future public health threats.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe research team conducted a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with staff members, including directors and supervisors, of food pantries located on the campuses of colleges and universities in the state of Connecticut. Participants also completed a short post-interview survey assessing demographic information and perspectives on food insecurity-related issues impacting their respective college or university. A template organizing approach was used to allow members of the research team to create a codebook of both inductive and deductive codes and identify emergent themes from the qualitative data.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTwelve interviews were conducted, of which 7 participants represented four-year and 5 from 2-year institutions. Based on our thematic analysis if the interviews, we identified four central themes: 1) Persistent Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic Barriers to Food Pantry Utilization; 2) Innovative responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; 3) Two- and Four-Year Colleges and Universities: Similarities and Differences; and 4) Demand for Non-Food-Related Items.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur research underscores the importance of lessons gleaned by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly through the lens of on-campus food pantry workers. Their unique insight and lessons learned ought to be considered when academic institutions deliberate allocating resources and making key decisions to help mitigate food insecurity concerns on their campuses.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Supporting Students through the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perspectives of Food Pantry Workers","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-11-05 16:44:52","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5312729/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-01-06T06:08:01+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-12-28T02:15:46+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-12-27T17:56:02+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"265464159213856168222333650289109862273","date":"2024-12-26T12:06:33+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"277815109464814087426220796721234524357","date":"2024-12-10T17:46:25+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"155104865860914087688981504133402074751","date":"2024-12-09T14:35:11+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-12-03T21:36:08+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"23187455306286496350346124980163625665","date":"2024-11-22T01:17:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"227224579482524454523640852809599485235","date":"2024-11-21T13:20:40+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2024-11-19T06:15:54+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2024-10-30T14:22:09+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-10-24T22:41:36+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2024-10-24T22:41:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Nutrition","date":"2024-10-22T14:27:12+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-nutrition","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"nutn","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Nutrition](http://bmcnutr.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/nutn/default.aspx","title":"BMC Nutrition","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"7453d9fa-5272-4095-b844-1dbb80016e0b","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 5th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-02-03T16:03:11+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-5312729","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01009-1","journal":{"identity":"bmc-nutrition","isVorOnly":false,"title":"BMC Nutrition"},"publishedOn":"2025-01-27 15:57:53","publishedOnDateReadable":"January 27th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-11-05 16:44:52","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01009-1","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01009-1","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-5312729","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-5312729","identity":"rs-5312729","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}