CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The community food pantry at University of Virginia feeds thousands, but the volunteers behind it believe the issue of food insecurity on grounds flies under the radar.

“Food insecurity, especially among college students, is the invisible epidemic,” said the organization’s graduate assistant Anastasia Jones-Burdick.

Jones-Burdick points to the roughly 5,000 visitors the pantry saw last fall as reason to support the fight against food insecurity on-grounds.

However, her efforts took her out of Charlottesville to Richmond, where she joined students from across the Commonwealth in advocating for the Hunger Free Campus Act .

“Us being there was actually a representation of the students that are facing food insecurity on campus, still going to classes,” Jones-Burdick said. “We were all very grateful to mobilize for them and be their voice there.”

Now, the student-advocates have returned and hit the ground running with the start to the Pantry’s only fundraising week of the year.

“This whole week is a mobilization of students, but also community members,” Jones-Burdick said.

Tucked away in a corner of Newcomb Hall, the food pantry is open to all students; however, it takes hundreds of dollars per week to keep it stocked.

Jones-Burdick said the university contributes to costs but only for stocks over school breaks.

“That’s why we’re really trying to leverage community to gain external donors and gain more so that we have more autonomy,” Jones-Burdick said of the pantry’s fundraising efforts.

The student group has set the goal to raise $25,000 in just one week through its Souper Bowl of Caring . A $5,000 donation from the Smithfield Company kickstarted these efforts.

“It’s truly moving when you think about the individual impact it can have on students and their success, but also when you look at the system level, it is so wonderful that we’re able to operate through generous donations,” Jones-Burdick said.

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