The GW Local

By: Caroline Dehn, EIC Lifestyle

GW’s meal plan has been a hot topic since the removal of the Foggy Bottom dining hall, J-Street. While GWorld offers a decent selection of foods to choose from, the amount of money given does not cover the average diet of a college student. For freshman without a kitchen, the GWorld balance of $2,375 a semester is certainly not enough to pay for three meals a day at the available restaurants.

Food insecurity remains high on campus, and many students are running out of GWorld money this time of the semester. President Leblanc has introduced a partnership with the company, TwentyTables, an organization that connects local restaurants to charities like Capital Area Food Bank to donate one meal to DC families in poverty for every meal purchased at participating restaurants using the TwentyTables app. According to the company’s website, their goal is to, “create consistent access to affordable food.” GW students can purchase meal tickets through GWorld that can be redeemed at any TwentyTables associated restaurant or food truck in the DC metro area for up to a calendar year. The meal tickets come in packages of five for $33, averaging at about $6 per meal.

But how much is this new project helping to decrease food insecurity for GW students? I stopped by Potomac Square to ask students their thoughts on the addition of Twenty Tables to our meal plan. After surveying groups enjoying their lunch, many agreed that 5 meals for $33 is a great deal, and they liked the idea of helping DC residents in the process. One student commented on the choices saying, “I really like the variety of food Twenty Tables offers, especially all of the foods from different countries. The different ethnic foods are delicious and something [students] maybe wouldn’t be exposed to otherwise.”

However, some students did have some hesitations about the program, saying that it should be, “advertised more,” and that the lunch times should be extended for kids who have classes during the 11-2 time slot. One student mentioned a very important note in regards to GW’s large food insecurity problem. They explained that free food opportunities should be properly advertised, most notably, The Store, GW’s student-run food pantry offering free groceries and necessities to the students here on campus. They emphasized the lack of knowledge many students have about The Store, and that they believe many more students would utilize it if shopping there was normalized on campus.

While TwentyTables seems to be a step in the right direction to decreasing food insecurity on campus, students agree that more action should be taken. Balancing tuition, room and board, and having enough money to live in the expensive DC area has proven very difficult for many GW students, understandably. The fight towards food security on campus continues, and students will continue to make their voices heard.

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