Written by Jannat Amee
It was my first semester at the Charles Sturt Bathurst campus. I just moved to Australia, all alone, by myself. I stayed at the university dorm, did not have a car yet, and was very unfamiliar with the mobility options from the university campus to the town centre to buy my food and basic necessary things.
Also, as an introverted person, I normally take time to make friends. So, if I needed anything urgently, especially food, I would choose not to eat anything rather than ask someone to guide me or take me to the shops in the city centre.
The day I came across the Food Pantry in October 2024, it was such a day when I needed to buy some food but could not figure out how to go to the shops. While going to the library, I saw a banner standing in front of the library that says, “Student Food Pantry: Fuel Your Future, Free Food for Students”.
I was so curious, I walked in to see what the Food Pantry was about, and I was so warmly welcomed with a wide smile by a student assistant named Charm. “I bet it’s your first time at the Pantry”, she said. I nodded and smiled, “Yes, please tell me about it”. She was so enthusiastic to brief me about the pantry, “It is to support all the students, this Pantry can provide you with the supplementary food items, any student can walk in twice a week and get the necessary food and some other basic items, like sanitary pads, tampons, hand sanitisers, etc.”
It was hard for me to believe that all these things were free for the students. There were dry food items, like cereals, noodles, pasta, pasta sauce, rice, tomato ketchup, tea, coffee, sugar, salt, and other snack items. There was milk too, and so many varieties of ready spice cans.
These food options were so thoughtful, and very easy for the students to prepare a quick meal. I was overwhelmed with joy, as I desperately needed to buy some food that day, but did not know who to ask to come along with me to the shops in the city centre. I took a few packets of food, some cereals, and milk for breakfast, some pasta, tuna cans, and pasta sauce for lunch/dinner. I got a small hand sanitiser with the Charles Sturt name and logo labelled on it.
“Do you need a bag?” Charm asked, and I was so touched by her genuine kindness. There were a bunch of paper bags kept for the students who visit the food pantry. Since I did not know about the food pantry, and I did not come with a bag, taking a bag from there saved me from the trouble of carrying so many packets in my hands.
Finding out about the food pantry was the highlight of my day. I felt so relieved that I won’t have to worry about food at least for the week. I felt that it was not only I who felt privileged and relieved because of the food pantry, but later, I heard from many students who thought that the supplementary food items from the food pantry saved them from difficult situations due to running out of food during the week.
There was a corner for writing my feedback on my experience at the pantry with a whiteboard pen, also there were QR codes to send digital feedback. I instantly put my feedback on the board on my first day, stating how privileged this pantry made me feel. In the later weeks, I scanned the QR code and requested to add some Asian food items, like spices, cooking oil, etc., and guess what, I discovered my request was accepted after a couple of weeks.
In my undergrad school and grad school in two other countries, I have experienced free tea or coffee for the students at the library, but this idea of providing food items for the students seems extraordinary to me, and I am sure any other student will be equally amazed and touched by such an initiative. The Student Food Pantry made me feel closer to my university, but it has also been helping me save on the expenses of my weekly meals. Charles Sturt deserves my heartfelt thanks for thinking of the well-being of the students and for taking such an amazing initiative!
Did you know the Student Food Pantry is funded by SSAF? That’s right, and your student-led project could be too! Got a great idea that needs support? The annual SSAF funding round opens 18 August. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and bring your project to life!
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative.
