At WMU, a master gardener and the local labor union team up to feed students who’re scraping by

As the Trump administration slashes USDA funding for food banks and grocery prices continue to rise, David Prellwitz of Kalamazoo explains how communities can help college students combat food insecurity. 

In a survey of undergraduate and graduate students at Western Michigan University, 51% of respondents reported worrying about running out of food before having enough money to buy more since they began attending college. While the number is eye-opening for some, for David Prellwitz of Kalamazoo, it’s a lived experience. 

“I’ve been in their shoes, I know what that’s like,” said Prellwitz. After enrolling as a part-time student at Western in 2013, even with a full-time on-campus job, Prellwitz said that he often struggled to afford food.

“I was working in dining services, and my wife and I were scraping to get by,” said Prellwitz, adding that the couple was not eligible for federal food assistance at the time. 

It wasn’t until 2018, after Prellwitz moved to the university’s landscaping department, that he began to feel some financial relief. Over the years, he worked his way up from groundskeeper to master gardener, and, in 2021, finally received his degree in food service administration. 

While it was a long journey to graduation, in comparison to what other students are going through, Prellwitz says he lucked out. 

“The students on campus don’t have the same abilities that employees do on campus. We can work 40 hours a week. Students aren’t able to do that if they want to go to school full-time,” he said. It’s one reason why he regularly volunteers at the Bronco Food Pantry, part of the university’s Montgomery Essential Needs program, which helps registered Western students access a variety of fresh produce, shelf-stable items, and other necessities at no cost.  

“The numbers have gone up from helping 40 to 50 a school year to like 1,600 to 1,700 students a semester,” said Prellwitz. During the 2022-23 academic year, the food bank served 63% more students than in previous years. 

“It’s just insane to see the need and how much it’s grown,” Prellwitz said, adding that even more students are expected to access the food pantry this year as a result of the USDA’s announcement in March that it was canceling $4.3 million worth of food shipments to food banks in Michigan as a way to reduce government waste—courtesy of the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

“One in 12 students use the pantry. By December, it’s probably going to be closer to one in 10 because things just keep getting more expensive,” said Prellwitz.

“It’s just sad that, in today’s day and age, this kind of stuff is happening.”

Finding the helpers

As food pantries across the state struggle to fill their shelves, Michiganders are coming together to lend a helping hand. For Prellwitz, that means organizing several food drives with his local union, AFSCME 1668, to donate to the Bronco Food Pantry. 

“When I’m dropping off donations, I’ve seen some of the same students coming through. To see the look in their eyes when they’ve got cooking oil…it’s just a given for some of us that it’s gonna be there next to the stove or in the pantry when we open the door—but it’s not a given for them,” he said. 

During the union’s most recent food drive, the group collected a total of 330 pounds of food and fresh produce, including 52 pounds of hygiene products. Prellwitz hopes to keep the momentum going at the group’s next food drive on Oct. 4 at the Hardings on West Main and Drake, just a short walk from campus

“I want to keep fighting for the students, but also for the community I live in. That’s what it’s all about,” said Prellwitz.