There’s no room for hunger at UC Berkeley School of Public Health
Food pantry and emergency fund helps students in need
- 3 min. read ▪ Published
A degree from UC Berkeley School of Public Health opens doors and offers new opportunities for our graduating students.
But California remains a high-cost state, which means that for some students the journey to receiving their diploma can be a challenge.
A 2025 School of Public Health student survey shows that 9% of the students who took the survey were food insecure, a 2% increase from the year before. And 4% of students face housing insecurity. But even for those who have stable housing and the funds for food shopping, the Bay Area still remains an expensive place to live and study.
A major strength of the public health field is the ability to respond to health problems in a proactive way. And food insecurity is definitely a public health issue. So in fall 2021, the school launched a food pantry run by the Dream office, which quickly grew to encompass direct stipends, and personal and home care products as the Berkeley Public Health Emergency Student Support & Food Pantry.
“The pantry began as a response to campus and departmental data that 20-30% of graduate students [at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic] experienced food instability,” said Ché L. Abram, chief of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at the school. “We were determined to find a way to address this within our school. Therefore, we reallocated funding in our budgets to spend about $700 per month on refrigerated, frozen, and shelf-stable foods. With donor funding, we were able to grow the budget to about $18,000 per year to include funds for one-time emergencies, a pop-up food pantry and community closet experience, and source snacks that fit a plethora of dietary needs.”
Since inception, the program has provided fresh produce and shelf-stable food, hygiene supplies, treats for pets, clothing and household goods to 140 students and $10-$50 Trader Joe’s gift cards for 30 students, along with $6,600 in one-time stipends for technology needs, delays in federal and state food assistance, housing, and natural disaster aid; daily food and beverages in the school’s student services suite (accessible to graduate students).
Without this extra help, students may go hungry, which would lead to worse academic outcomes.
“The students at BPH truly are the best: hard-working, smart, ready to change the world! But … It is not easy to change the world when you are hungry,” said Michael Sholinbeck, UC Berkeley emeriti librarian, who has volunteered for the program since its inception. “Everyone needs to eat first: before studying, before work.”
“I really appreciate the pop-up pantry,” said doctoral candidate Kathleen Corpuz. “It offered plenty of options…even the household goods proved to be useful.”
“‘You belong here,’ is a statement that Dean Michael C. Lu makes each year during our New Student Orientation. Our food pantry and community closet are a small way that models this to our students,” said Abram.
The next pop-up experience will happen in March or April 2026, but food remains continuously available in the student services suite and students are always welcome to request emergency aid as need arises.
Help us help our students this holiday season by donating to the UC Berkeley Public Health Emergency Student Support & Food Pantry.
