By Kadija Doumbia

Economic hardship from COVID-19 policies puts more students at risk of going hungry, making an already present problem worse. About 48 percent of CUNY and 55 percent of Lehman students had experienced food insecurity within the past 30 days, according to the Bronx Free Press.

“We do not have concrete numbers of how much the COVID-19 crisis is affecting food insecurity among Lehman students,” said David Charcape,  Assistant Director for the Office of Campus Life. “However, testimonials from students using the pantry tells us that they are struggling to make ends meet more than ever before.” 

“Before COVID-19, I was going to the Lehman pantry every week, which was a great   help. Thanks to the Lehman pantry, in the time that I have been studying, I have not had a food insecurity problem,” nutrition major Mary Morfe told the Meridian.

“Before the Coronavirus happened in New York, we always had students coming into the food pantry,” said Suzette Ramsundar, associate of campus life. “When we started this food pantry, we had about 50 students per week. Late last year, our numbers really increased to where we had 80 to 100 students per week.”

A 2018 survey from the Hope Center reported that Lehman has a higher than average food insecurity rate, with 75 percent of Lehman students facing food insecurity, and 61 percent unable to afford a well-balanced meal. This means that even before the pandemic, students often skipped meals to stretch their limited food supply into the next day.

Now with increased unemployment rates comes greater need.

"I live in a household of five, so it never covers all of us, but if I am cooking just for me it lasts over a week. I go whenever I really need it, maybe once a month,” said 21-year-old sophomore studio art major Sharaah Aquino. “Me and my mother work in beauty salons, which are now closed, so we did lose our jobs temporarily. My dad fell really sick earlier this year so he’s been out of his job for a while.”

Since March 17, Lehman’s Food Bank has changed its schedule to maintain social distancing, with students now only allowed to come by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Prior to the change, the food bank was open three days a week, on Mondays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Student volunteers and workers still work for the food bank remotely.

“I usually work for the food bank during the semester as a paid position, not a volunteer,” said political science major Alicia Rodriguez-Allie. “However, due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, I have been working for the food bank from home assisting students virtually in support of the employees who are still going in person."

As of April 9, the Lehman Food Bank announced via e-mail that their physical pantry service was switching to a digital service by offering students e-gift cards to supermarkets such as Target and registrations to Fresh Direct’s five-borough food drive. This lets students shop for food online and receive it to their homes, rather than taking the trek to the campus to get their food.

Students can also apply for greater relief sources such as the Lehman Cares Student Emergencies Fund and the Carroll and Milton Petrie Student Emergency Grant Fund, which gives up to $500 to cover basic needs. Multiple relief sources also let them know when the food is available in their neighborhoods.

“It is a fulfilling job knowing that what I am doing is directly benefiting the students,” said Rodriguez-Allie.