The Student Org is getting a tasty upgrade
By Ella Tracy
On Nov. 25, Student Senate is opening a brand new food access resource in the kitchen area of the Student Org Center on the 2nd floor of the CdC. The resource will include a dry food storage cabinet and a community fridge to store perishables. It will be available for students to utilize whenever the CdC is open.
Senate moved to dedicate $2000 to the community fridge last year. It is currently managed by the Senate's Environmental Committee and the Facilities ad hoc committee. SEEK volunteered an underused cabinet for the dry food storage, and Senate is currently collaborating with Facilities to install a separate fridge dedicated to community perishables.
Megan Nyholm, ‘25 (Communication Studies, Psychology and Sustainability minors), chair of the Environmental Committee, shared that the resource is aimed at increasing food security on campus. According to cross campus research, 54% of students at St. Kate’s, Hamline, Macalester and Augsburg experience food insecurity, compared to a national average of 23% of undergraduates.
Nyholm said that the community fridge is designed to complement the Food Access Hub’s food shelf, which is open every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. However, according to a survey conducted by the Cross-Campus Food Access Coalition, only 20% of the St. Kate’s community used the Food Access Hub in 2022. Nyholm hopes that having food accessible throughout the week will benefit students and community members who aren’t able to visit the food shelf.
Nyholm also noted rising uncertainty around federal support for SNAP and WIC benefits. The federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12, meant a pause in administering benefits to families across America, including 440,000 people in Minnesota alone. While the Minnesota government administered full benefits to Minnesotans, federal funding remains in limbo. Nyholm hopes that the community fridge will provide the St. Kate’s community with some assurance that they can still access food amid SNAP/WIC uncertainty.
The community fridge will also help reduce food waste. “Once it is established, clubs and events can use the dedicated space to put leftover food for communal use,” Nyholm said.
To officially open the community fridge, Senate is hosting a KatieGiving event on Nov. 25 from 3-5pm in the Student Org. The community can use this time to celebrate the new space and familiarize themselves with its resources. Fall-themed catering will be provided. Community members can also make magnets that can stay on the fridge to “leave their mark on the community.” Nyholm said that this time is about “celebrating themes of collaboration, abundance, gratitude and community as we get into the colder months and the holidays.”
If you have questions about the event or the community fridge, please email Nyholm at manyholm628@stkate.edu
