A Sustainable Model for Combating Campus Food Insecurity
In August 2023, the college’s cafeteria vendor abruptly terminated its contract, leaving students without a central hub for affordable, accessible meals. While temporary, outdoor food trucks arrived to fill the gap, they offered little relief. The limited options—often consisting of pricey, unbalanced meals like sugary sweets, and pizza—failed to meet the dietary needs of the student body.
Imagine this:
You’re in the library, buried in textbooks and lecture notes, gearing up for a study session. The clock strikes, and hunger sets in. Packing lunch was a luxury your schedule didn’t allow. You consider your options: the campus cafeteria is closed, and your only alternative is to head to the food trucks parked around campus. But the trucks are closed or operating on irregular schedules, making it impossible to rely on them consistently. On top of that, the meals offered are unbalanced and don’t provide the nutrition students need to fuel their studies.
If the food trucks aren’t an option, your next choice is to trek off-campus to grab fast food. Brooklyn College’s campus is surrounded by fast food restaurants. But those fast food meals don’t offer the balanced, healthy options that students need to stay focused and energized. And they certainly don’t support the diverse dietary needs of all students.
This detour to find food can easily take 20 to 30 minutes, navigating busy streets and re-entering the sprawling campus. And tomorrow? You’ll face the same decision all over again: a meal or precious study time.
For too many Brooklyn College students, this isn’t a hypothetical situation—it’s a daily reality. The temporary, outdoor food trucks, while convenient, don’t offer students the nourishing meals they need to sustain them through their academic day.
Faced with these challenges, the Public Health and Medicine (PHAM) Club, in partnership with the Community Health Alliance of NYC (CHA NYC), launched the Brooklyn College Community Fridge Program—a response to combat food insecurity on campus.
The Community Fridge: A Lifeline for Students
The Brooklyn College Community Fridge is more than a repository for meals—it’s a lifeline for students navigating the pressures of academia and the cost of living in New York City. By providing free, nutritious meals, the fridge ensures that no student has to choose between their education and their well-being.
A Sustainable, Student-Led Solution
The program is grounded in a sustainable, student-led model that empowers the campus community to take charge of its own well-being:
- Student Leadership in Action: The PHAM Club leads the day-to-day operations of the fridge, coordinating food collection, packaging, and distribution. Students gain valuable experience in leadership, public health, and community engagement.
- Strategic Partnerships: Professors like Ana Rosa Nazario and Margrethe Horlyck-Romanovsky collaborate with the initiative through the Food Lab, a state-of-the-art kitchen where students prepare meals as part of their coursework. Surplus meals from classes like “Foods of Diverse Populations” are donated directly to the fridge, ensuring a steady supply of food.
- Zero-Waste Innovation: The program partners with student organizations to collect excess food from campus events, repackaging it into meals for students.
- Mentorship: The program also serves as a platform for mentorship, offering students who are passionate about community health the opportunity to gain hands on experience. Students involved in the fridge program gain firsthand experience in public health activism, leadership, and community organizing, helping to prepare them for future careers in health promotion and social justice.
Building Resilience and Expanding Reach
This initiative addresses more than hunger—it builds community resilience. Students come together to support one another, creating a culture of care and shared responsibility.
But the work isn’t finished. With your support, we can:
- Expand the program by adding more community fridges across campus.
- Fund essential supplies like food, spices, containers, and cleaning materials.
- Strengthen partnerships with local organizations to secure additional food donations.
Your Impact: Help Us Build a Stronger Community
By donating to the Brooklyn College Community Fridge Program, you’re not just providing meals—you’re investing in a sustainable solution to food insecurity that empowers students and builds a healthier, more equitable campus.
Whether you contribute funds or food, every bit helps us move closer to a future where no student has to choose between a meal and their education.
The Community Health Alliance of NYC 