'It takes some of the stress off': UWM's campus food pantry saw 34% increase in demand in October

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- With the fate of food stamps up in the air, food pantries across the country are stocking up, preparing to serve more people than ever before.

That includes college campuses.

In the last month, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's (UWM) food pantry has seen demand increase by more than 34%, and they expect numbers to jump even more if SNAP benefits end Saturday.

UWM's food pantry is located in the Student Union - with free fresh and frozen food, non-perishables, period products, diapers and wipes.

It has been operating since 2018, and staff tells us it has grown each year.

"It just takes some of the stress off," said graduate student, Natalie Koepp, who visited the pantry for the first time on Friday.  "It helped me stock my pantry. Now I can go and maybe buy some fresh produce, vegetables and fruits - maybe make a soup." 

Koepp was one of more than a thousand visitors just in October.

"We're definitely hearing students who are worried about how they're going to feed themselves in the next few days," said Allie Martinez, the basic needs coordinator at UWM. "We have student parents who are concerned about how they're going to feed their children."

According to Martinez, more than 52% of students at UWM are experiencing food insecurity.

"That might mean they don't know where their next meal is coming from, they're skipping meals to save food or save money," she explained.

The food pantry aims to help, but it's also in need.

The pantry runs solely off donations to fund weekly deliveries from Feeding America.

Martinez said donations have slowed down, forcing them to make some changes.

"Prior to this semester, students were able to come weekly, but just due to some decrease in our funding, we have asked them now to come twice per month," she explained.

With the government shutdown, pantry staff is spreading the word, both that the resource exists for students, and that donations are needed to serve as many as possible.

"I think there's a misconception that college students don't face basic needs insecurity and really, they very much do," Martinez said.

"To have this be one less thing that I have to worry about is huge, and really helps at the end of the day," Koepp said.

Click here to learn more about UWM's food pantry.

Click here to learn how to donate to UWM's food pantry.

CBS 58 has also compiled a list of resources if you are facing food insecurity this coming November which you can find here.