{"id":25452,"date":"2018-07-27T10:46:42","date_gmt":"2018-07-27T14:46:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/?p=25452"},"modified":"2022-03-16T10:38:47","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T14:38:47","slug":"national-push-to-eliminate-hunger-on-college-campuses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/national-push-to-eliminate-hunger-on-college-campuses\/","title":{"rendered":"The National Push to Eliminate Hunger on College Campuses"},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.S. student debt crisis, which hit a high of <\/span>$1.5 trillion<\/span><\/a> in the first quarter of 2018, is a common topic for conversation in politics, on campuses and even at the dinner table. <\/span><\/p>\n

Skyrocketing college costs are forcing students to take out loans that put them in debilitating debt for years to come. Students are graduating with about $37,000 in student debt on average.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is less often discussed, however, are the financial dilemmas that students face while still in school. <\/span><\/p>\n

In today\u2019s world, a college degree is essential for a job in nearly any field. Students commonly have to take on a full-course schedule, so the hours they can work are very limited. <\/span><\/p>\n

Since many students can only work a part-time job, the costs of tuition, rent and books are forcing them to often forego the very thing keeping them alive — food. <\/span><\/p>\n

According to a 2016 <\/span>study<\/span><\/a>, only 18 percent of students reported being able to cover all of their college expenses by working a job. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA surprising number of students live at or near the poverty level,\u201d the authors wrote. \u201cOne common consequence of poverty is food insecurity — the lack of reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The study showed that <\/span>48 percent<\/span><\/a> of college students experience food insecurity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fifty-seven percent of black or African American students reported food insecurity, compared to 40 percent of non-Hispanic white students.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fifty-six percent of first-generation students were food insecure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Twenty-five percent of community college students qualified as having \u201cvery low\u201d food security, and 20 percent of four-year schools students qualified as having \u201cvery low\u201d food security. <\/span><\/p>\n

Efforts to fight hunger<\/b><\/h2>\n

Despite the lack of public discussion, many universities and organizations are developing innovative ways to help eliminate student hunger.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>College and University Food Bank Alliance<\/span><\/a> (CUFBA), co-founded by the Michigan State Student Food Bank and the Oregon State University Food Pantry, is a professional organization comprised of over 400 campus-based programs geared to alleviate hunger, food insecurity and poverty among college students. <\/span><\/p>\n

CUFBA trains, provides resources and <\/span>supports colleges<\/span><\/a> that open food banks in an effort to create a model that will make these college food banks work their best for the students in need. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost people that come to us are already starting a food pantry, we typically help with technical assistance, answering any questions they have about setting up,\u201d said Brandon Mathews, associate director of CUFBA. \u201cWe want to make sure it is sustainable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As a unique approach, the University of California Irvine started a<\/span> new type of food pantry<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

In 2017, the university opened FRESH Basic Needs Hub, a 2,318-square-foot space with a pantry full of canned and dried foods, fresh fruit and vegetables, refrigerated items and toiletries. <\/span><\/p>\n

At FRESH, students can pick up groceries and learn how to prepare healthy, cheap meals. <\/span><\/p>\n

One of the primary goals of the development is to eliminate the stigma behind students turning to a food pantry. Instead of students feeling shame, they can utilize the space to spend time with friends and feel empowered. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFood assistance shouldn\u2019t be stigmatized,\u201d Andrea Gutierrez, UCI\u2019s basic needs coordinator, said in a statement. \u201cWe want [students] to feel free to say out loud, \u2018Hey, let\u2019s meet up at FRESH\u2019 or \u2018I\u2019m heading over to FRESH after class,\u2019 instead of having to whisper about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2017, a student at the University of Minnesota (UMN) <\/span>started Nutritious U Food Pantry<\/span><\/a>, an on-campus food pantry, to provide students in need with healthy food. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t just want to provide emergency food to students who will use it,\u201d said Rebecca Leighton, who started Nutritious U Food Pantry when she was a graduate student at UMN. \u201cWe want to increase their access to healthy food, increase their well-being and overall increase their learning potential.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The pantry is estimated to receive 1,300 pounds of fresh, organic vegetables from a university garden plot.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Image: The Nutritious U Food Pantry, Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cFood insecurity is a big problem that college students are facing and at the same time, our country is facing some serious issues when it comes to chronic diseases related to obesity,\u201d said Leighton.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI believe all students should have reliable access not only to food, but to fresh and healthy food,\u201d she continued. \u201cThat is why the Nutritious U Food Pantry stocks mostly fresh produce and other wholesome foods.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When the University of Kansas (KU) learned from a 2017 study that <\/span>54 percent<\/span><\/a> of its students experience food insecurity, it decided to take action. <\/span><\/p>\n

The university developed a <\/span>website<\/span><\/a> to teach members of the campus community about the challenges of food insecurity and to help them identify ways to help. <\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, the Food Insecurity Committee at KU merged with the campus organization KU Fights Hunger to increase hunger awareness, identify resources to help the community, and improve the annual food drive and hunger summit. <\/span><\/p>\n

Swipe Out Hunger<\/span><\/a>, a program that has students donating extra meal swipes to stock campus food pantries, has gained widespread appeal. <\/span><\/p>\n

In 2017, a student-led hunger strike at Spelman and Morehouse, two historically black universities in Atlanta, ended when the university officials at both schools agreed to bring in a chapter of Swipe Out Hunger. <\/span><\/p>\n

The University of Kentucky (UK) is <\/span>working<\/span><\/a> to make sure it gets the most out of every single piece of food made in its vicinity. <\/span><\/p>\n

UK students collect food that would otherwise have been wasted from the university\u2019s dining facilities, nearby farms, farmers\u2019 markets, restaurants and grocery stores, and disperse the food to those in need. <\/span><\/p>\n