OUR MISSION
The Committee on Food Security aims to tackle one of the most pressing issues on MIT’s campus: students’ ability to access and afford food during the semester. Established in the Fall of 2023, the Food Security committee has done work to quantify food insecurity at MIT, highlight the most pressing issues for MIT undergraduate students, and kickstart new initiatives to lessen the impact that food insecurity has on nearly 10% of undergraduates at MIT.
Our goal is to raise awareness of the existing food resources on campus and develop new programs to build on the reach of these resources. Through discussions with administration, the Committee on Student Life (CSL), DormCon, and other UA members tackling food issues, we have been working on long, medium, and short-term solutions.
Current Initiatives
We are currently working on a few different initiatives, ranging from short to long term. This semester (Spring 2024), we are planning an initiative (in collaboration with DormCon) to improve students’ cooking experience in dorm kitchens.
In the long term, we have been involved in discussion surrounding the new grocer in the stud, in addition to dining at MIT.
If you have any thoughts about food security at MIT, feel free to fill out the quick google form linked below or email us at ua-food-security@mit.edu! We would love to hear your thoughts on the most pressing issues or initiatives you’d like to see (or help with!).
Current Food resources
There are many food resources available at MIT. Here are a few, compiled from the DoingWell website:
For all students:
SwipeShare program — Undergraduate students who wish to receive donated meal swipes can talk to someone in Student Support Services or complete the Meal Request Form. You can donate up to 6 swipes and receive 3 swipes (and can request more by contacting S3).
Emergency Support Fund Request Form
The Emergency Support Fund request form allows students to request assistance to cover unforeseen, essential expenses or obtain enough food for regular meals. S3 can help cover or subsidize expenses such as winter clothing or an emergency trip home.
DormCon recently helped establish a new Vending Hub in Vending Hub in room 4-115. This pilot program put delicious, healthy dining options just steps from the Infinite Corridor, including products from Berkshire Natural, Bleni Blends, Farmer’s Fridge, Koury Beverage, and Subway Grab & Go. One goal of this pilot is to increase the amount of food options for students toward the east side of campus.
For students who buy groceries:
MIT Food & Grocery Map – shows local restaurants, grocers, and vending machines, using this custom Google Map created by the Food Security Action Team (FSAT).
Free MIT shuttles to off campus grocers:
MIT offers free shuttle services to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, and Daily Table. Shuttles run Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 11:30am to 4:30pm during the academic year. Live schedule updates and route map/schedule are available.
There is also a shuttle to Costco and Target in Everett, MA, which runs specific Sundays 11am-3pm during the academic year (real-time schedule and route available).
Shuttle to Costco and Target in Everett, MA
Specific Sundays from 11:00am to 3:00pm during the academic year
What is food insecurity?
Food insecurity can be described in many different ways. Someone may be economically or time insecure. Students may not have enough money to pay for meals to support them throughout the week. Even if a student is able to pay for lunch every day, they may end up skipping it because they don’t have time to grab lunch between classes. Additionally, for students that cook for themselves, there may not be enough grocery options that are easy to access during the school week.
There are many different ways to divide and quantify this issue. This is part is due to the great degree of flexibility MIT allows its students. Students can be in a cook-for-yourself dorm, or one with a meal plan; they can live on or off campus. Food insecurity looks different for each of these groups. However, there are some uniting issues: food (both prepared food and groceries) is often too expensive in Boston; students don’t have enough time to cook or buy food; geographically, we have very few food options (especially grocery stores) that are nearby.