The Associated Students of Madison (ASM) passed a resolution at a meeting Wednesday night calling on the University of Wisconsin-Madison to provide financial support for Open Seat Food Pantry.
ASM created Open Seat in 2016 as a pilot initiative to address food insecurity on campus. This year, the food pantry faces record-level demand for food amid a significant increase in visits. Over 2,500 visits occurred in September 2025 compared to 550 visits in September 2023, an increase of about 355%.
The pantry is primarily stocked through donations and purchases made through the Food Access Fund, a donation fund run by UW-Madison’s Office of Student Affairs providing support for food insecurity initiatives on campus. This year, demand from the student body has significantly outpaced donations, according to Open Seat Internal Director Grace Van Voorst…