College is thought to be a time of adventure, new beginnings, networking, and personal growth.
Yet for a growing number of students, college is also a time of survival.
Many students are juggling classes with work, worrying about rent or groceries, and quietly pushing through hunger just trying to get through each day. Behind campus events, classrooms, and social media posts are students navigating financial stress, food insecurity, and uncertainty about their most basic needs.
Some students are skipping meals to stretch a paycheck, choosing between textbooks and groceries, or relying on campus resources just to make it through the week.
For commuter students, these challenges can be even more pronounced. With limited access to meal plans due to financial constraints, hunger becomes yet another barrier layered onto an already full plate.
“I feel like we should also have meal plans built into our tuition because we have to eat too, and most of us have to save our money for other obligations,” explained Keiran Groce, senior.
One such model addressing this reality exists just down the road at Patrick & Henry Community College.
The Patriot Pantry at P&HCC is more than a food distribution site. It is a system of care built on dignity, trust, and responsiveness to student needs. According to Heather Luther, who oversees the Pantry, the scope of need quickly became clear once she stepped into the role.
“The level of need is tremendous,” Luther explains.
She notes that many students who rely on the Pantry are homeless, parenting children, juggling full-time employment while pursuing their education, or are displaced veterans.
“For many of them, their Pantry visit may be their only ‘grocery shop’ for the month; it may be the only time they can get a hot meal,” she said.
Research consistently shows that students experiencing food insecurity face increased stress, difficulty concentrating, and lower academic performance. When students are worried about eating, everything else just compounds.
“Of course, with increased awareness comes increased cost,” Luther says. “The more people who are aware, the more people who come, which means the faster the shelves get emptied.”
In that regard, the Pantry has to replenish faster, and the more it cost to keep shelves stocked.
“It is a real challenge, but it is a rewarding one to know we are meeting people’s most basic need!” she says.
At the center of the Patriot Pantry model is an honest effort to remove the stigma of asking for help.
“I want people to come to the Pantry unashamed, unafraid, and unembarrassed,” she says. “I want them to be able to be vulnerable, if even for a moment, so they can ask for and receive the help we all need right now.”
She says she wants them to leave knowing that someone saw them, heard them, understood them, and genuinely loved them.
“(This is) especially when they were in a time of great need and at a time where life feels difficult and perfectly imperfect,” says Luther.
Community members who are interested in learning more about the Patriot Pantry can check out their website here, and those who wish to support the Pantry through online donations can do so here, helping ensure shelves remain stocked as demand grows.
Luther also regularly seeks feedback directly from students, using surveys to ask directly as to which items they actually need.
Models like the Patriot Pantry show that meaningful change does not require absolute perfection or unlimited resources. It begins with listening, acknowledging the need, and responding with care.
Supporting similar efforts, normalizing conversations about food insecurity, and creating spaces where students can ask for help without shame are small but powerful steps toward a better future.
There was once a food pantry on campus here, and there may still well be, but inquiries as to its current condition have gone without a response. It would be nice to see it resurrected.
