Faced with rising grocery costs, more CSUSB students are turning to the on-campus food pantry or enrolling in food assistance benefits 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) held a press conference highlighting the impact of rising food prices on students and the importance of food assistance programs. This fall semester, 2,200 students at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) have used the on-campus food pantry and student applications for CalFresh, California’s version of SNAP, have more than doubled since last year.

Across the country, people are struggling to afford the skyrocketing prices of gas, groceries, housing and electricity because of Trump’s and Republicans’ policies. Last year, Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill kicked more than 5 million Americans, including more than 340,000 Californians, off their food assistance benefits in order to give a tax break to billionaires. For CSUSB students, rising costs mean cutting back spending or relying more on food assistance programs and campus food pantries to avoid going hungry. You can watch the full video of the press conference here and find photos from the event above and here.

“Students are already juggling classes, homework, housing and even jobs and childcare, so finding enough to eat shouldn’t be another concern,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “That’s why CalFresh and the Obershaw DEN food pantry are so important. When you don’t have to worry about your next meal, you can focus in class and have energy for everything else college offers. Even after Trump and Republicans cut millions of Americans’ food assistance, I’m grateful that CSUSB students have somewhere to turn to so they don’t go hungry. But in the wealthiest nation on earth, this shouldn’t be the case. I’ll keep fighting to bring down costs and protect CalFresh so Inland Empire students get the meals they need to do well in school and graduate.”

“Students cannot fully focus on their education when they are worried about where their next meal will come from,” said President Terri Gómez, CSUSB. “CSUSB’s Basic Needs and Student Support services provide compassionate, holistic assistance — from food pantry access and CalFresh application support to emergency housing and other resources — so students can meet immediate challenges, remain focused on their goals and succeed academically.”