Hendricks Chapel, the building that houses Syracuse University’s on-campus food pantry. © 2026 Alexa Korrie
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT: Syracuse University students tackle food insecurity through a campus-wide challenge
Idrissa Ballo: Syracuse University students are coming together to battle college food insecurity. Our reporter, Alexa Korrie, joins us live from Hendricks Chapel to tell us about an annual effort to help fuel students.
Alexa Korrie: That’s right Idrissa, the competition raises money for the campus food pantry here at Hendricks Chapel and highlights a growing issue affecting college students nationwide. Syracuse University professor Colleen Heflin, a nationally known food insecurity expert, says the problem goes beyond just the rising food prices but also the costs it takes students to travel off campus.
Colleen Heflin: You can’t walk to the grocery store, so are they saying they can’t afford food, or they can’t afford food plus the Uber?
Alexa Korrie: In only a few years, the Coach Mac Food Pantry has seen a major increase in student use, jumping from around 20 to 250 students a week. Alison Murray, Assistant Dean for Student Assistance, says the amount of students needing the service have reached numbers never seen before.
Alison Murray: Over the past two weeks or so, we have seen more students, and students I have never seen before actually utilize the food pantry.
Alexa Korrie: Syracuse University student Chloe Martinez says events like the Cup Challenge brings the campus community together to help students receive the nutrition they need.
Chloe Martinez: We’re unifying each other for such a great cause, we are not only helping the community, but we are helping our peers.
Alexa Korrie: On the first day of giving alone, the pantry was able to put five hundred new food items on the shelf for students. The annual food drive ends tomorrow. Alexa Korrie reporting live at Hendricks Chapel, N-C-C News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – For some Syracuse University students, getting through the day isn’t just about classes and clubs; it’s about making sure they have enough to eat.
A campus-wide effort known as the Hendricks Chapel Cup Challenge is working to address that reality. The multi-day competition raises money and collects donations for the Coach Mac Food Pantry, bringing together student organizations, including Greek life, to support peers struggling to afford basic necessities.
The event highlights a broader issue affecting college students nationwide. As prices of everyday items continue to rise, students struggle to afford groceries and other necessities.
Colleen Heflin, a Syracuse University professor and a nationally known food insecurity expert, says the issue goes beyond just the rising grocery prices. But the fact that Syracuse University is located in a food desert means that students have to pay hefty amounts to travel off campus to the nearest grocery stores.
“Sometimes it’s not clear to me if affordability is the main constraint to food access,” Heflin said. “You can’t walk to a grocery store, so are they saying they can’t afford food, or they can’t afford food plus the Uber?”
Those added barriers contribute to a sharp rise in demand for on-campus resources.
The Coach Mac Food Pantry, located inside Hendricks Chapel, has seen an increase in student usage in recent years. According to Alison Murray, assistant dean for student assistance, the weekly visits have grown from around 20 students to nearly 250.
“Over the past two weeks or so, we have seen more students, and students I have never seen before actually utilize the food pantry,” Murray said.
Murray says the pantry serves a wide range of students, including undergraduate, graduate and international students, many of whom are balancing the rising costs of living with academic responsibilities.
Students say the effects of food insecurity can be immediate and impactful.
“You need food to be able to power through the day and to have energy to do all these things,” said Syracuse University student Chloe Martinez. “And when you don’t have it, it just crumbles.”
Beyond physical impacts, food insecurity can also affect students’ academic performance and overall well-being, making resources like the campus food pantry critical.
Events like the Cup Challenge aim to reduce stigma while increasing awareness and support across campus.
Impacts of the Challenge have already been felt. On the first day of donations alone, the pantry put 500 new food items on the shelf for students to use the next day.
Campus leaders expect donations to continue flowing in as tomorrow wraps up the last day of the challenge with Syracuse University’s Giving Day.