It can be frustrating at times that in one of the wealthiest countries in the world millions of people are going to bed hungry every night. We produce enough food to feed every person, yet not everyone has access to it. On college campuses in particular, hunger is becoming more and more prevalent, but less visible.
As an undergraduate student at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) I have had the opportunity to research and advocate on behalf of college food insecurity issues.
After completing a pilot study looking at food insecurity among students on campus and spending time as a No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador at End Hunger CT!, I recently completed a larger study on food insecurity on my campus by surveying graduate and undergraduate students. What I found was shocking.
We found that 25% of students were facing food insecurity issues, and 8% of those students were going hungry, skipping meals, and cutting the size of their meals. This number is much higher than typical rate in New Hampshire.
With the support of the administration at UNH and New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan, we created a task force to look for solutions to end college hunger here.
This fall, UNH launched a program to provide free meals in the dining hall for students who cannot afford healthy, nutritious food. This program is called “Swipe It Forward”, in which staff, faculty, and students can donate meal swipes to for fellow students in need.
The hope is that this program will create a conversation on campus around food insecurity and hunger. Many students are struggling and do not want to admit it or seek help due to stigma. Not being able to afford food is not something to be ashamed of, I hope this program helps students realize that they are not alone and there are resources to help.
Today, UNH is one step closer to becoming a hunger free campus. I will forever be grateful for my university’s administration for not only recognizing that food insecurity is an issue on our campus, but for committing to solve this problem.
I am more hopeful now then ever before that one day the United States will be a hunger free country. We, as millennials, have the power to make a real difference so long as we are willing to speak up. When I started this project I never dreamed the response it would get or the administrative changes that would come from it. UNH is not alone; food pantries on college campuses have been starting up all around the country and more research is coming out on this issue everyday. If this experience has taught me anything it is the power of passionate advocacy. One person can really make a difference – with hard work and determination the impossible becomes possible.
If you are a college student, start the conversation with your administration about what they can do to help students. Even the smallest of changes can be instrumental to the lives of fellow students. Lets end food insecurity on college campuses and ensure that all students have the opportunities to be successful in school and into the future.
Generation No Kid Hungry and the Youth Ambassador program are made possible by the support of the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation.
