As with most displays, as we explored our library collection for resources our idea evolved and deepened. On this display you’ll find resources on the campus Food Pantry[2] that provides nutritious food to students. There is also information about CalFresh[3], a program that provides monthly food benefits to low-income students, and SGAP for students who don’t qualify for CalFresh.
What does the library have to offer on the topic of food insecurity? We certainly have resources for academic research on the topic - from academic journals, magazines, news sources, and documentaries to government information - from USDA statistics[4] to fact sheets from the NIH[5]. Instead, we thought, what better resource to supplement food sources for students than cookbooks? As we searched through the library's collection of cookbooks, we were reminded of the stories these books often contain. It’s an oft repeated joke that when you stumble on a food blog, you have to scan past the blogger’s life story before getting to the actual recipe. Even when you watch a ten-minute video on TikTok, the creator usually includes some type of context beyond the steps to the recipe. Why is that? We think it’s because food is more than just the number of calories we need to consume to keep moving forward. Food is our first memory of sitting at a table with family. It’s the buttery scent of popcorn on our first date at the movies. The first meal we cooked for roommates in our dorm (yes it was ramen, but we put an egg in it!). The dumplings that we carefully choose from a small shop in Chinatown to share with friends to share a piece of ourselves.
Food nourishes our bodies and minds, connects us to others, reminds us of traditions, and pushes us to explore and try new things. Each dish, no matter how simple, carries a history. So, in sharing this display, we are not only sharing resources for accessing and preparing food, but we are recognizing the many ways in which food nourishes us.
This display was curated by Suzanne Maguire, Instruction Librarian and Cat Ellis, Health Sciences Librarian.
Join the fight in the annual Aztecs Rock Hunger campaign, led by Associated Students, against food and nutrition insecurity in San Diego and the SDSU community starting this Friday, Oct. 4 through Oct. 27. Donations support the SDSU Economic Crisis and Response Team (ECRT), A.S. Food Pantry, and the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.
Last year, ECRT assisted more than 1,700 students and distributed $55,000 in emergency food support. We need your help to Feed the Need right here at SDSU!
Ways to Donate:
On Venmo @aztecsrock or CashApp $aztecsrock
At all Starbucks, eateries, and markets on campus
Via the SDSU Online Giving Portal (donations through this method are tax deductible)
Via the Online Virtual Food Pantry (best used on a desktop computer)
Dropping off non-perishable food items in the Associated Students Office (3rd floor, Student Union)
For more information go to the Aztecs Rock Hunger website and follow the Aztecs Rock Hunger Instagram.
