State Funding Will Allow ASI Cougar Pantry to Expand
Associated Students, Inc., of Cal State San Marcos has received $1 million in state funding from the office of California Assemblymember Darshana Patel to support infrastructure upgrades and expansion of the ASI Cougar Pantry.
Patel, who represents the 76th Assembly District that includes San Marcos, presented a $1 million check to ASI during an event on campus Thursday. CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt was in attendance, along with multiple ASI leaders.
The ASI Cougar Pantry provides CSUSM students experiencing food insecurity with access to nutritious food and other essential resources. The state investment will help strengthen the pantry’s infrastructure, expand its capacity and allow it to better meet the needs of students across the campus community.
“Cal State San Marcos students are working hard to build their futures, and hunger should never stand in the way of that,” Patel said. “The ASI Cougar Pantry is a lifeline for students who may be balancing classes, work, rising living costs and other responsibilities. As chair of the Assembly Education Committee, I’m proud to support this investment right here in our community so more students have the resources and stability they need to stay focused, succeed and reach graduation.”
The $1 million in funding will add capacity to the pantry, which has seen higher traffic since the August opening of Black Oak Hall, an affordable student housing project that added 555 new beds to the campus footprint. The money will improve critical back-of-house infrastructure, including commercial refrigeration and freezer systems, food storage and handling equipment, shelving, operational equipment, and essential supplies needed to safely receive, store and distribute a greater volume and variety of food.
The ASI Cougar Pantry serves more than 300 students per day and distributes more than 11,000 pounds of food per week.
“As a second-year student at CSUSM, visiting the ASI Cougar Pantry has been something I have looked forward to every week since my very first week on campus,” said Tristan Bugnot, ASI president. “Not only have I personally experienced the relief of knowing where my next meal will come from, but I have also been able to focus on what matters most: being a student. Now, as president, having the opportunity to volunteer at the pantry has given me an even greater appreciation for the dedication, compassion and hard work that our ASI Cougar Pantry team puts in every single day to support our students.
“This incredible $1 million donation is more than just a financial contribution; it is an investment in our students, their futures and their ability to succeed.”
In response to a survey showing that more than half of CSUSM students faced food insecurity, ASI passed a resolution 10 years ago in support of creating a food pantry on campus. Weekly food distribution began in 2017, followed the next year by the opening of a physical space.
Since 2017, the ASI Cougar Pantry has supplied free fresh produce, pantry staples and essential groceries to students on a weekly basis through its main pantry, and more recently through additional satellite refrigerators across campus.
“Our ASI Cougar Pantry is a critical link in our students’ pathway to achieving social mobility; we know that students cannot thrive academically when their basic needs are unmet,” said Annie Macias, ASI’s executive director. “By serving so many students each day, the Cougar Pantry provides the nourishment, stability and dignity they need to stay focused on their education and build a brighter future.”