The Feed-A-Bull food pantry is located in PRW 106, next to the parking garage.
Photo by Julia Ferrara
By Julia Ferrara
The University of South Florida’s on-campus food pantry, once housed in the Student Outreach and Support (SOS) office in the Student Life Center (SLC) has been relocated to the Peter Rudy Wallace building in room 106.
In 2015, the University of South Florida established Feed-A-Bull Food Pantries to help combat food insecurity and ensure that students wouldn’t have to choose between buying school supplies or stocking their fridges.
Feed-a-Bull then expanded to the USF St. Petersburg campus in 2020 to support students across the bridge.
The food pantry is set up to make sure students leave with a balanced haul.
Photo by Julia Ferrara
Katie Webster, a registered and licensed dietitian at USF and the director of Feed-A-Bull, notes that the setup of the pantry, as well as how students can access the food, has changed since its move.
“Students now just come during the hours of operation and can ‘shop the shelves’.”
“The food is broken down into food categories, so you can get certain quantities from each food group or food category,” Webster said.
In the near future, Webster plans to have lockers available for students to pick up food after hours of operation.
“It will work similarly to an Amazon locker where you’ll be sent a code to come pick up at your convenience,” Webster said.
Oliver Laczko, a senior Environmental Science and Policy major, says that the food pantry used to be funded by the Coca-Cola recycling machines around campus, which he was responsible for maintaining as the Coordinator of Sustainability for Student Government.
Laczko shares that about a year ago, a policy changed so that instead of monetary donations to purchase whatever food they needed, the pantry would only receive Coca-Cola products.
Since his last involvement, the food pantry has grown exponentially, says Laczko.
“It’s critical. The issue of food insecurity is often times, unfortunately, very well hidden, just because it can be really daunting for students to go ask for food,” said Laczko.
“It’s a very vulnerable position to be in, and it’s one that entails a lot of financial hardship [and] personal hardship.”
Approximately 2 out of every 5 students face some level of food insecurity during their time in university.
Webster adds that food insecurity can be cyclical, affecting individuals at multiple points in their lives, echoing the importance of a service like this.
“It’s not unique to USF. College students in general are going to have times of need, and we just want to be a resource that’s available to them.”
Feed-A-Bull food pantries are open to all enrolled USF students. Students are allowed to access the pantry once weekly, and there is no limit on the number of visits per semester.
The current hours for the USF St. Petersburg pantry are MWF 10 am – 4 pm, TTh 1 pm – 4 pm.
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Written by: Julia Ferrara on October 21, 2025.
