A Place at the Table

Usually, when people talk about the pantry, they share how it helps others. But this time, I want to share how the pantry helped me.

For the longest time, I would walk past the long line on the first floor of the Student Union, curious about what it led to, but never stopping. I was always rushing to class. I never imagined that one day, I’d be on the other side of that line, and that the pantry would become such an important part of my life.

It started during my last semester, when I volunteered at the Beach Pantry for a food sustainability class. My very first shift wasn’t even at the pantry itself, it was in the kitchen, scrubbing dishes after a cooking session. I hated it, but I had 18 more volunteer hours to finish. So, I pushed through, and eventually, I discovered that I could take shifts directly at the pantry. From then on, I stuck to pantry shifts and I loved it there.

At that time, I was going through a rough transition, moving into a new apartment and struggling to connect with my roommates. I didn’t feel comfortable in my own home, especially in the kitchen. There was food in the fridge, but it wasn’t mine, it was theirs. My own meals were often little more than cookies with milk for breakfast, or a ham sandwich for dinner. Sometimes, I just waited until I visited home so I could eat my mom’s cooking.

That’s when the pantry became more than just a place to volunteer. It became my safe haven. I started taking extra shifts, even after my volunteer hours were done. I think Ms. Christina noticed how much I cared, because before the semester ended, I was offered a position as a Pantry Assistant.

The pantry taught me that food insecurity looks different for everyone. For some, it’s the difference between going hungry or choosing to pay their rent. For others, it’s as simple as forgetting to pack lunch. For me, it was about not having a space where I felt I belonged. The pantry gave me more than food, it gave me comfort.

After graduation, I applied to the Sports Management Master’s Program at Long Beach State. When I got in, I reached out to Ms. Christina to see if I could return to the pantry. Not only did she take me back, but within a month, I was promoted to Graduate Assistant.

This time, I got to see the bigger picture: early morning trips to Los Angeles to pick up produce donations, connecting with new organizations, giving donors pantry tours, and running events like rushed pancake mornings, hotdog cookouts, and mobile pantries across campus. 

But what I’ll treasure most are the friendships I found here. Friends from the Netherlands, Vietnam, India, the Philippines, and right here at home. People I never would have met if it weren’t for the pantry.

Now, as I enter my last semester, I know I want to give back to the place that gave me so much. I want to leave behind a legacy, not just a name, but a memory of someone who cared, who gave back, and who made a difference. If people can’t remember my name, I hope they’ll at least remember my actions.

The pantry gave me food, a job and friends, but this is just my pantry story, one of many. 

Thank you, 

Aslyn Mendez 

Beach Pantry Graduate Assistant 

Associated Students Inc. 

California State University, Long Beach