USU's Student Nutrition Access Center Gains New Oversight, Opportunities

The Student Nutrition Access Center at Utah State University will soon be under the oversight of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences and the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences. While the change won’t affect the services students can receive at SNAC now, it will open up new possibilities for the center in the near future.

Founded in 2010, SNAC aims to reduce food insecurity on Utah State University’s Logan campus, educate students about nutrition and food resources, and reduce food waste by recovering food. In 2022, SNAC distributed 20,000 pounds of campus and local restaurant surplus food that would have otherwise gone to waste. Almost 2,000 people visited the center more than 11,500 times last year.

Heidi Wengreen, department head of NDFS, explained that the change in oversight will connect SNAC with experts in issues related to food insecurity as well as people in other parts of the food system, including the university’s farms, greenhouses, creamery and chocolate factory. Students in the dietetics and master of public health programs and others in NDFS will also be able to do internships and other projects with SNAC.

“I think our students will be really excited to get involved in projects that will not only enhance their educational experience and also support our campus community,” Wengreen said.

While SNAC’s new relationship with NDFS and CAAS will open up new opportunities, it won’t prevent the center from offering the services people rely on.

“SNAC will stay put in the Taggart Student Center for the time being, and we’ll continue to serve any student with a need who walks through the door to the best of our ability,” Wengreen said. “In the future, we’ll be looking to expand the services provided by SNAC to include more education about nutrition and cooking on a budget.”

Casey Coombs, a professional practice assistant professor of dietetics, SNAC’s new faculty director, pointed out that food insecurity among college students is not unique to USU. College students around the country need to balance rent, tuition, transportation costs, books, food and more on limited incomes, and many students end up skipping meals or relying on cheaper but less healthy foods to get by.

The consequences of doing that are tangible. Food insecurity is tied to lower academic performance, increased risk of leaving college, and poorer self-rated health and mental health. That makes getting the message out about SNAC all the more important.

“We want students to know that SNAC is there to help when times are tough,” Coombs said. “There can be shame and stigma associated with receiving food assistance, but we want students to know that they are not alone in their struggles. There are resources, like SNAC, to help.”

Fortunately, students are making good use of SNAC. The center’s program coordinator, Rachel Schwartz, noted that the number of visits to SNAC has almost doubled since last year and the year before that. And people aren’t afraid to voice their appreciation for the center’s work.

“We’ve gotten calls from mothers of students about how their kids had been struggling this semester but were really excited about what SNAC had that day,” Schwartz said. “We can’t provide all the food a person needs, but we can supplement it, and just knowing that it’s impacting people’s lives makes SNAC a lot of fun to be a part of.”

SNAC continues to receive support from Student Affairs and the Center for Community Engagement, which opened the pantry in 2010 and worked diligently to expand services into what they are now. SNAC also works with the Utah Food Bank, Cache County Community Food Pantry, USU Dining Services, and USU Extension’s Create Better Health (SNAP-Ed) program and Hunger Solutions Institute, among other partners. Most food offered at the center is donated or recovered through programs like the USU Gleaning Team, although SNAC does use cash donations to supplement its selection with things like alternative dairy products, gluten-free bread, rice and other staples.

Coombs explained that universities across the country are working to reduce hunger through student food pantries. Successful cooperation between SNAC, CAAS and NDFS at Utah State could lead to new approaches at other universities as well.

“I look forward to contributing to this field of research by piloting this partnership of a student pantry directly supported by a department and college,” Coombs said. “CAAS and NDFS have resources that can enhance the SNAC experience, so I’m excited to be on the frontline of implementing this new approach.”

SNAC is available to any student, staff or faculty in need. Please visit the SNAC website to learn more and contribute. Donations help fund student workers and ensure that those in need have access to a variety of nutritious and delicious food.