OREM, Utah — On Tuesdays, you'll usually find senior Kristen Richardson in the kitchen. However, it's not her home kitchen; as part of the wellness program at Utah Valley University, she wants to educate others about nutrition.
“We provide a recipe, and we show them like how to make a healthy meal or a snack," she said.
However, as easy as it is to fill other people's plates, it can be a challenge filling her own.
“I don't often get like substantial meals because it is so expensive," Richardson said, "it's really hard unless you have something to like lean on."
For Kristen, something to lean on is the campus food pantry.
“If I didn't have them, I don't know what I'd do," Richardson said.
UVU's CARE Hub is open to students enrolled in at least one class, where they can get canned goods and fresh food from the campus garden operated by students.
However, students wondered what they could do with all the produce if they've never really cooked before.
“We've implemented cooking classes on Fresh Food Fridays that show our students how we can use that produce in fresh seasonal dishes," said Sharon Turner with Utah Valley University.
It's something Richardson loves to utilize.
“Sometimes you're like, 'What do I do with this can of beans? Or also like this zucchini that I have,'" she said. "It's helpful. I don't know what I'm doing, and I don't want to ask Google.”
Turner said the Hub served 12,000 students last year and gave out 67,000 pounds of food. Unfortunately, with rising prices, they expect an even bigger year to come.
“Students deserve to have a meaningful experience here on campus and focus on their learning and not be stressed out about where their next meal is coming from," Turner said.
Richardson feels initiatives like these may be a step towards solving the overall issue.
“I think a lot of people just kind of go hungry, and then when they find out about like these things, like I did, I was like, oh, there's a solution for me," she said, "I wish more colleges would advertise and have them because it's really hard to be a student and not be able to afford things.”
The CARE Hub offers these cooking classes at least once a month, and the next one is going to be on September 17.
The Hub is available for students Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and even has a mobile unit that delivers food to UVU's satellite campuses.
