Dive Brief:
- California State University-San Bernardino is one of nearly 250 campuses across the US that host food pantries for students who deal with food insecurity while getting their degrees.
- Diverse reports Michigan State is believed to be the first campus to open a student food pantry, and by the time the recession got underway in late 2008, there were three other universities with their own — now pantries are open at regional schools that serve large populations of students from low-income families, as well as elite public and private colleges and universities nationwide.
- Schools that run food pantries have given social work students opportunities to conduct intake screenings with attendees and researchers a local population to study, and they have also become a hub for other supports, connecting students with housing and additional scholarship opportunities.
Dive Insight:
Food insecurity is something that goes unnoticed in many communities across the country. It is easy to hide. On campuses, where the stereotype of a “poor college student” is rampant, it is perhaps surprising that food banks did not open sooner.
At the K-12 level, backpack programs exist to ensure students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunches do not go hungry over the weekend. There is an understanding that students need to have steady nutrition to focus on academics.
Colleges and universities that do not partner with a food bank or run their own might consider taking a closer look at their student population and their options for offering help. These programs could be folded into retention efforts, and depending on their effectiveness, might even pay for themselves with sustained tuition dollars.