Updated January 1, 2026 at 5:06 AM EST
The food pantry at Penn State Harrisburg saw an uptick in students during the fall semester. Aimee Wheeler, who oversees the pantry, says she expects this coming semester to be just as busy.
"I expect to see even more in January and February, because students will be coming back from winter break and be stocking up," Wheeler said.
About a year ago, she said the food pantry might have had about nine visitors in a week. But lately, it's been more like nine visitors in a single day.
"We've seen more students than ever," Wheeler said.
And it's not just Penn State Harrisburg.
"We're hearing that there [is] an uptick, an increase in visits and not enough resources to go around," said Renee Houle Catazano, a vice president at Swipe Out Hunger. The national nonprofit estimates that two in five college students face food insecurity, meaning they lack consistent access to nutritious foods.
Between the uncertainty of SNAP payments due to the government shutdown and the rising cost of living, Houle Catazano said many students feel financially strained.
Some are turning to campus food pantries. Students like Leon Garland, a freshman at Penn State Harrisburg. He said he knows first-hand how hunger can affect academics.
"If you don't have enough food available to you on hand … It's gonna make you feel heavy, anxious a little bit, maybe even drowsy," he said.
The week before finals, Garland visited the campus food pantry for the first time with one of his roommates, Zephaniah Waldron.
The two perused the pantry's shelves, discussing what they might need to cook dinner. Waldron grabbed a paper bag filled with ingredients for creamy chickpea casserole, and Garland offered a not-so-subtle jab, "You can learn how to cook more stuff besides ramen."
"Hey," Waldron said, "I can cook a mean alfredo."
Garland believes having a food pantry at school is great, as long as students actually visit: "instead of thinking, 'I shouldn't go, I don't need the help, I'll be fine,'" he said. "Trust me, it's not fine. … get what you need."
Wheeler agrees. "Let us help you with your basic needs and you focus on the school," she said. "Because ultimately we want to see [students] be successful."
The pantry opened in 2018 to the college's roughly 5,000 students. Wheeler ensures the pantry is stocked. That means coordinating deliveries of non-perishables from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, as well as seasonal produce through partnerships with local growers.
Community members, including college staff, have also supported the pantry with donations.
"Anything from trash bags, laundry pods, tampons, pads, shampoo, conditioner," Wheeler said.
Rylee Martinez is a senior who works at the food pantry as a student ambassador checking-in visitors. She said having a student as the face of the pantry helps some of her peers feel more comfortable.
"I think there definitely is a stigma because students don't want to ask for help because they might be embarrassed," Martinez said. "But once they're here, it's pretty welcoming."
Myles Perry frequents the pantry when his income isn't enough. He's a junior studying mechanical engineering and has a job at one of the college's performing arts centers. But his work hours vary week-to-week.
"I like to get simple things. I don't like to splurge," Perry said.
He prioritizes items like meat and vegetables.
"Hey, recently I made a whole chicken," he said. "The pantry had a big, ole whole chicken in there. … I was like 'yeah, this is perfect.'"
Perry said he used to feel embarrassed to use the food pantry, but he's gotten more comfortable. "We all start from somewhere. I [would] rather go through these challenges when I'm younger," he said. "And then when I get older, I learn from it and know how to give back."
In other words, students shouldn't be afraid to ask for what they need.
"I mean, hey, you gotta eat."
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