With the holiday season just around the corner, the MSU Food Bank has begun preparing for an increased need for food.
This past week, the food bank received a bigger shipment than normal — 8,400 pounds of food — which they hope will be able to last them through the end of the semester, said Sara Casey, MSU Food Bank operations manager and dietetics senior.
The food bank is open every two weeks from 5:30-7 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Olin Health Center Dining Room.
All MSU students who do not have a meal plan are eligible to receive assistance.
Because the semester is winding down and there will be fewer opportunities to receive food from the food bank, Casey said she expects more students to be using the service in the next few weeks.
The food bank’s last day of distribution for the fall semester is Dec. 7, leaving students to wait until the spring semester to receive food again.
“(There will) probably (be more interest) because there’s such a big gap in distribution dates,” she said. “People eat a lot on the holidays.”
Although he has never used its services, communication junior Blair Brown said the food bank serves an important purpose on campus.
“It gives (people in need) a sense of satisfaction and holiday spirit,” Brown said. “Not everyone is able to enjoy that.”
Casey said there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people being served by the food bank this year, and she believes the restrictions on Bridge Cards are part of the reason.
In April, the qualification requirements for Bridge Cards became more strict, making students no longer automatic qualifiers for assistance.
In the first month after the change in requirements, the total number of food assistance recipients in Ingham County decreased by nearly 5,000 people, according to past State News articles.
“Last year and this year our numbers are higher than they (had) been five years ago,” Casey said. “The new Bridge Card law has probably increased the number of students.”
Now in his third year working at the food bank, human biology and nutritional sciences junior Justin Wintman said he also has noticed a greater number of students seeking assistance.
Wintman works at the food bank as an interviewer, tasked with talking to clients about their need.
From Wintman’s experience, the struggling economy has caused students to seek help from the food bank, he said.
“Times are tough, and if there’s a place where you can get some food, this is the place,” he said.
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