As the federal government shutdown halts SNAP funding and questions remain over how recipients will access their benefits, the LSU Food Pantry and local businesses like House Brew are stepping up to support Baton Rouge residents and students facing food insecurity.
At LSU, the Food Pantry has seen a steady increase in demand. Manager of Operations and Food Pantry Jennifer Cristina said the number of daily visitors has climbed sharply over the past year. The pantry now serves between 350 and 450 students each day, which is roughly 100 more than this time last fall.
“We’re anticipating more people between the government shutdown and people’s families not getting paid, and also the SNAP benefits being cut,” Cristina said. “We expect longer lines, but we’re already experiencing longer lines.”
Cristina said the pantry is working to ensure consistent access to balanced meals, often relying on donations from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.
“We’re trying to make sure we have as much food and as many substitutions for the foods that we pick up each morning,” she said. “When that runs out, we’re trying to make sure we have something for everyone to be able to get meals with nutritional value in them, whether it’s a can of hearty soup, or if it’s a to-go tuna salad kit or something like that that someone can take.”
The pantry also partners with the Food Recovery Network, a student organization that collects leftover food from LSU Dining to distribute to students.
“No one on this campus should ever have to starve, because we have food,” she said. “We have something all the time for anyone who comes in, any time of day.”
While LSU’s pantry handles on-campus needs, House Brew, a community coffee shop on Government Street, is expanding its own relief efforts. Owner Manning Bergeron said their team was inspired by Heretic Coffee Co., a nonprofit café in Oregon that launched a food relief drive following the SNAP cuts.
“They immediately hopped on the relief train to step up against the SNAP cuts,” Bergeron said. “We wanted to do the same here.”
Bergeron and their staff have hosted three sandwich-making parties since last year, assembling hundreds of peanut butter, jelly and Nutella sandwiches for free community distribution.
The sandwiches are available to anyone in need, and House Brew plans to continue offering them to the community even once SNAP benefits are fully restored.
“We will have sandwiches available until SNAP benefits are fully restored, and will continue to host sandwich-making parties even after it’s restored,” Bergeron said. “Asking for help shouldn’t be embarrassing; it should be second nature. A lot of us have forgotten how to rely on others, and it might be the missing piece to a lot of our lives.”
Bergeron also urged those with time or resources to take action.
“If you have the time, money and resources, you are in the perfect position to help with low risk,” Bergeron said. “Those who can’t spare a second from work and are living paycheck to paycheck shouldn’t be attacked for having such high risk.”
Cristina encouraged students and community members to support the pantry in any way they can, whether by donating, volunteering or spreading awareness. Those who want to contribute can visit the pantry’s website to donate through the LSU Foundation link or shop their Amazon wish list.
Students facing food insecurity can reach out directly at [email protected] for assistance or with questions about accessing resources. Student organizations can also get involved through the Food Pantry’s TigerLink page.
