College Students Get Food From Pantries

Another sign of the bad economic times: College students are increasingly heading to the local food pantry or proudly declaring on Facebook their use of food stamps, the Associated Press reports. At the University District pantry near the University of Washington, overall demand has risen around 25 percent, with about 150 students visiting each week. At the food-assistance program run by the Community College of Denver, demand has doubled in the past year, forcing the school to also double the pantry's $3,000 budget.

"A lot of students can't call their mom every day to ask for that extra fifty dollars," said a former Benedict College student and founder of the Facebook group "I Ain't Afraid to Be on Food Stamps." "Right now, with things the way they are, a lot of students just can't afford to eat."