Simone Moss, a May graduate of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), recalls when, as a student, she would contemplate spending $50 that she didn’t have in the bank to buy groceries so she could eat that week.

“I was in class taking a test, and I remember thinking, ‘OK, I don’t have anything to eat when I go home,’” she said. Despite living with her mom and working part time at Starbucks, it was challenging to make ends meet.

Through conversations she had on campus, she learned about Teddy’s Pantry—a school resource named after CSUDH’s mascot, Teddy. It provides healthy, fresh foods and hygiene items to students in need. She decided to check it out.

Teddy’s Pantry offers a variety of fresh, frozen and refrigerated foods and prepackaged meals for CSUDH students and their families.

“They have soup, cereal, beans—the things that are good for making staple meals and the big quantities in order to last a good amount of time,” she said. “I would just scoop it into a bowl [from the large dish it was packaged in], heat it up and focus on studying for my test.”

STUDENT FOOD INSECURITY PREVALANT

A 2023 survey by the California Student Aid Commission revealed that two-thirds of college students were food insecure, while more than half were housing insecure. According to Tiffany Herbert, associate vice president of health and well-being at CSUDH, the challenge for students in meeting basic needs emerged within the California State University system just prior to and during the pandemic.

To make college more accessible for students, CSUDH created Toro CARE, a program designed to offer up to $1,000 per academic year to students experiencing hardships that impact academic, emotional or social progress. It opened a small food pantry in the library in 2022 and moved it to a larger location at the school’s College of Education building this spring due to demand.

Teddy’s Pantry offers a “Trader Joe’s” experience with freezer and refrigerated selections for students and their families. Items are donated by The Foodbank of Southern California, Student LunchBox and Sowing Seeds For Life.

“We have reimagined what we are doing with the pantry to offer a more nutrient-dense, healthy plate with the single-meal takeaways so that students can really utilize the pantry for their varying needs and their families,” said Candice Bangura, director of Toro CARE. The program also helps students apply for the USDA-funded nutrition program CalFresh and provides short-term housing resources, academic navigation, help connecting to health services and financial support.

With college under her belt, Moss is gearing up to launch her new career. She credits Toro CARE with helping her reach the undergraduate finish line. •

For more information visit csudh.edu/toro-care.