Savannah Parrish, a third-year computer science student at Stanislaus State University, relies on CalFresh benefits to help her afford healthy groceries. After months of job searching, she joined a work-study program but still depends on this assistance. With the recent suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the federal government shutdown that began September 30, Parrish and many other students are facing uncertainty about how they will meet their basic needs.
“I have to change my budget up now. I can’t afford to go grocery shopping anymore,” Parrish said. “There’s no Thanksgiving, really, this year for me.”
At least 200,000 college students in California are enrolled in CalFresh. The Central Valley leads the state with 21.6% of community college students participating in the program, according to the California Policy Lab. There is no available data for California State University enrollment in CalFresh.
For some students like Heather Oram, a third-year sociology major with disabilities at Stanislaus State, working full-time while studying is not an option. Oram explained that most of their money goes toward expenses such as textbooks and transportation rather than food.
“You don’t realize how expensive it is to be a student until you are one. If I have money, I don’t have the ability to spend it on food, it’s more like textbooks, it’s gas to get to the university,” Oram said. “CalFresh is such a blessing. Food and nutrition. It provides me that [which] I wouldn’t be able to provide for myself.”
Many colleges offer free food pantries on campus but these resources cannot fully compensate for lost benefits from CalFresh delays. At Stanislaus State, students may visit pantry locations in Turlock or Stockton once per week and select up to ten items including perishable and nonperishable goods as well as hygiene products and baby supplies.
Heather Pearson Villeda, director of Basic Needs at Stanislaus State, expects increased demand at campus pantries due to the suspension of benefits. She reported 5,188 visits across both locations in September alone and over 33,800 visits during the last academic year.
“Addressing food security is a community-based issue, so we would appreciate any support that folks contribute, whether it’s to us here or any one of our local food banks that are trying to support our communities,” Villeda said.
Donations—especially shelf-stable goods—are welcome at either pantry location after inspection per permitting requirements; donors are asked to contact staff before making large contributions. The pantries operate weekdays with extended hours on Tuesdays.
Students like Parrish remain unsure when SNAP benefits will resume but stress their determination not to let uncertainty undermine them.
“If you are so privileged to never have to use food stamps, voila, good for you, great. Don’t piss on me because I’m trying to live,” Parrish said. “I’m not going to react in fear and be scared … They love people being uncertain, they love people being hopeless. And I’m not going to do that.”
