More than 73,000 kids in Washington County alone struggle with food insecurity in one way or another, according to a report on food insecurity in Oregon. 35 percent of those kids – 25,550 – do not qualify for federal nutrition assistance. Combine this with Oregon’s high rate of poverty – 42 percent of Oregon households weren’t able to cover basic necessities in 2023, the most recent statistic – and the need for access to basic nutrition is only going up, especially as we endure colder temperatures. 

Thankfully, at TuHS, we have a food pantry, the Campus Cupboard, that gives students access to basic food items, such as canned goods, dry foods and most non-perishables you could find in any grocery market. We are very lucky to have access to the Campus Cupboard as a public resource, and it has the benefit of being a food bank while being local to students, making food hyper-accessible to the students who need it most. There are no requirements to access the food itself, so any student can go in and get what they need, when they need it. 

The Campus Cupboard’s motto is “for the community, by the community.” The pantry currently has a large amount of overstock, according to English teacher Becky Beeler, whose students created the Campus Cupboard as a Design Core project several years ago. 

“The fact that our cupboard is always stocked and has backstock is heartwarming and beautiful,” she said. 

Beeler only wishes that more students would actually take what they need. To avoid students feeling self-conscious about accessing the cupboard, Beeler suggested a system where students can request food, and boxes will be made for them to pick up in a separate location. Then, students can come pick up their boxes at the main office without having to go directly to the cupboard. 

Beeler has made a survey so that students can let her know the extent to which this resource would help students in need get the food they require. If there are enough students who would be interested, things will be arranged with the Campus Cupboard organizers to set this system up.