Food Insecurity is defined as limited access to food which makes it difficult for a person to lead a healthy life. Even though food insecurity might seem like a far distant problem on a college campus, it affects a large majority of college students. Cornell is an urban food desert, which means that residents within the community have to commute more than a mile to find the nearest supermarket. Even though Cornell hosts several dining halls that operate throughout the day, students don’t have a very viable option of actually cooking food for themselves. Considering that a roundtrip to the nearest supermarket(Wegmans,Tops,Target) takes a about 2 to 3 hours, many students just don’t have the time to venture out of campus to find food. Also, Cornell students have very busy schedules which often leads them to sacrificing meals for their work. This happens most frequently during dinner, when most dining halls close before 8, causing students to spend their BRBs or find other sources of food to compensate for their busy schedules. When students run out of BRB’s they are only left with their meal plan, which also provides students with limited food options considering what kind of plan they have.

Anabel’s grocery store is an up and coming student run grocery store that is going to be located inside Anabel Taylor. The store is going to source local produce and sell it at an affordable price for students. The store’s main goal is to reduce food insecurity around campus by selling healthy food to students at a lower price. The students who are running the store described themselves as activists for the people suffering from food insecurity around campus. As victims of food insecurity themselves, the students want to encourage everyone on campus to have a filling and nutritious diet. As a student who stays on campus during breaks, I am looking forward to having a grocery store that will be open regardless of all the dining halls being closed. Even during the year, I always wish that there was a local grocery store on central from which I could buy snacks and fruits at an affordable price without wasting any of my BRBs. Hopefully, in the next few months, I will be able to go to Anabel’s grocery and buy a lot of delicious and healthy treats.