Associated Students CSULB

The ASI Beach Pantry operates as the official food pantry for Long Beach State students. The pantry provides food, fresh produce, toiletries and school supplies for students. About 1 in 5 students on CSU campuses experience food insecurity while in college, according to a study commissioned by the CSU Chancellor's office and led by Social Worker Dr. Rashida Crutchfield. The study calls it an invisible issue that has been normalized as a picture of the ordinary and expected starving student.

The ASI Beach Pantry is proud to announce the opening of the ASI Beach Kitchen, an expansion of the pantry. This new space provides culinary skills, nutrition education and community engagement programming for the campus community. The ASI Beach Kitchen provides access to CSULB students to gain lifelong learning on how to prepare nutritional meals for their overall wellbeing. The kitchen will focus on educational programing and will utilize pantry staples to ensure accessibility for all students to experience culturally inclusive meals.

The ASI Beach Pantry operates on donations. Nearly all food received is donated by local community partners, such as, Long Beach Organic, Food Finders, Studentlunch Box, Temple Baptist Church on 10th, Bixby Knoll Restaurant Association and the Long Beach Food Bank to name a few. The ASI Beach Pantry has also established a food rescue program on campus, where food that would have otherwise been wasted is now diverted from the landfill.

The ASI Beach Pantry provides our students with not only basic necessities but also opportunities of philanthropy. As many student utilize the services that the pantry has to offer, many student organizations and clubs find ways to give back with hosting food drives and collecting funds to benefit our program. Their efforts in fundraising has helped our campus target our current students and young alumni to give back. Many students and alumni remember facing food insecurity in college and are happy to give back to enable student success both inside and outside the classroom.

Testimonials

Why is the Beach Pantry important to students?

- I was laid off from one of my jobs, leaving me to work 15 hours a week. Pantry helped me get through the tough weeks

- It is so encouraging and helpful to have a place where you can get some extra support and feel less alone in the struggles of life

- The Beach pantry helped me to save money to spend on bills because I lost my job during covid

- It is important because not all students have support systems that are strong and depend on themselves to pay for school and basic needs such as food. Some students have children and families to feed and sacrifice continuing expensive education and the time and sacrifice and need that extra assistance or depend and look forward the that assistance whether it be food pantry, donations of clothing, and other basic and vital needs.

I am thankful for the Beach Pantry weekly food distribution program because....

- The pantry helps me take care of my family as a full-time student with limited income.

- It helped me stay on my feet

- It has fed my family whether it was some vegetables for a cooked dinner, snacks that would stretch and last to the next weeks available pantry.

A message to our donors:

- Thank you for your donation. It helped many students and families

- Your generosity has been a gift for myself and my family. As a wife and mother who is a full-time student, every little bit helps and I am grateful for the goodness of donors and supporters of this program!

- I want to say thank you for helping me stay on my feet during this difficult time and lessen the stress caused by covid

- Thank you for donating and supporting the pantry and it's recipients! All that has been received has been given with a huge heart, compassion, and care! It has been received and has helped my self and my family to get by thru these times that me and my family have been experiencing. As a single mother and student finishing up the sacrifices of attending grad school.. the gift of food had has been a blessing to receive for many Fridays we have attended pantry. Thank you so much always!