{"id":5104,"date":"2020-11-06T16:24:13","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T21:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/?p=5104"},"modified":"2020-11-21T09:32:59","modified_gmt":"2020-11-21T14:32:59","slug":"hunger-hits-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/issues\/fall-2020\/hunger-hits-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Hunger Hits Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Food Insecurity on Campus and Beyond<\/h1>\n\n\n
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Apples from 溏心vlog免费B站’s East Farm are sorted and boxed for distribution to 溏心vlog免费B站 students and Rhode Island food banks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hunger. It\u2019s a widespread problem\u2014even on college campuses. How is 溏心vlog免费B站 responding to help get food to those in need? Donating and delivering produce grown in our experimental agricultural fields, running a campus food pantry, advocating to expand the federal school lunch program to public colleges, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Todd McLeish <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An international student living in 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Graduate Village Apartments with her three young children was struggling to feed her family while working toward her degree half a world away from her extended family and friends. She was doing the best she could on her limited income, but after paying for her academic expenses, clothing for her growing children, and housing costs, she had little left over for food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a surprisingly common problem on university campuses nationwide, and 溏心vlog免费B站 is not immune. Food insecurity is a growing concern, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation even more challenging for an increasing number of students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, 溏心vlog免费B站 has developed a number of resources in recent years to support students in need. It is also growing fresh produce for area food banks and leading efforts to improve access to healthy food for families in need around the state. But much more needs to be done at the state and federal level to address the underlying issues behind these problems to prevent a further escalation of food insecurity on campus and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Food Insecurity on Campus: The Big Picture <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It has only been in the last 10 years that food insecurity has been recognized as a significant problem on college campuses in the United States. According to Kathy Collins, 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s vice president for student affairs, it\u2019s a subject that simply wasn\u2019t talked about or acknowledged. \u201cIt\u2019s an embarrassing thing for colleges to make public,\u201d she says. \u201cBut we have to talk about it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

National surveys have forced the issue into the light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, 167,000 students were surveyed by Temple University at 171 two-year colleges and 56 four-year institutions, and 39 percent of respondents indicated they had been food insecure in the previous 30 days, meaning they did not have enough to eat or they were uncertain where their next meal would come from. The rate is lower at four-year schools, where it typically ranges from 8 to 30 percent. A similar survey at 溏心vlog免费B站 found about 13 percent of students were food insecure in 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe expansion and diversity of the people who go to college has really changed the landscape,\u201d says Kathleen Gorman, director of 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America, who led the 溏心vlog免费B站 survey. \u201cMany more lower-income and moderate-income students with limited support from their families, who before wouldn\u2019t have gone to college, now do. And colleges now have a lot more older students who have families and jobs and are struggling to pay their bills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf 13 percent of our students are food insecure\u2014and the true number is probably higher than that\u2014then that means a couple thousand students are hungry,\u201d she adds. \u201cThat\u2019s not OK.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Assisting 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Food-Insecure Students <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The demographics of those experiencing food insecurity varies widely among 溏心vlog免费B站 students, but it includes commuters, in- and out-of-state students, grad students and even some who live on campus. Student-athletes are particularly susceptible to food insecurity, as only 25 percent are on full scholarship, and their required training regimen\u2014coupled with their coursework\u2014leaves little time to earn extra income. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacqui Tisdale, Ph.D. \u201914, assistant dean for outreach and intervention in the 溏心vlog免费B站 Dean of Students Office, said the survey numbers aren\u2019t surprising, since the issues people are faced with across the country\u2014and that are illustrated by increased visits to food banks\u2014also play out on college campuses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jacqui<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday\u2019s students are pretty savvy,\u201d she says. \u201cThey eat out of vending machines, they borrow meal swipes from their friends, they order a pizza and make it last for eight meals. Food insecurity has close ties to housing insecurity, and we see a number of students who have to make choices between stable housing, food, and books. Their version of housing insecurity just looks a little different\u2014they\u2019re couch surfing with friends or living in their cars and lack a consistent address.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tisdale serves as a case manager on campus, so students who are hungry eventually find their way to her. She guides them to a variety of services that are now available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFood insecurity has close ties to housing insecurity, and we see a number of students who have to make choices between stable housing, food, and books.\u201c
\u2014Jacqui Tisdale, Ph.D. ’14, Assistant Dean for Outreach and Intervention<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhody Outpost, the campus food pantry, was established in 2013 by two students as their final project in Gorman\u2019s class. They had an inkling that food insecurity was a concern for many students on campus and believed that if a food pantry were available, students would use it. They were right. Located in the basement of St. Augustine\u2019s Episcopal Church on Lower College Road and administered by the Dean of Students Office since 2017, it regularly serves the needs of hundreds of students, thanks largely to donations from church members, campus food drives, and fundraising by Greek Life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the fall of 2018, a meal-sharing program was launched enabling students on meal plans to donate one meal per semester to students in need. Called Share a Swipe For Hope, the program is modeled after the national Swipe Out Hunger program. Students donate \u201cguest swipes\u201d from their meal plan via a dining hall kiosk, and those seeking meals can apply to have a certain number of meals added to their ID card so they can easily access meals with their peers anonymously. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe run a big campaign every fall and spring to encourage students to share a swipe, and we get a great response,\u201d Tisdale says. \u201cThere are usually enough swipes donated to meet the need, in part because that\u2019s not the sole program we offer.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students with greater needs than an occasional meal can also apply to the Students First Fund, which provides financial support to students with demonstrated financial need for a variety of emergency uses, including for the purchase of groceries or even an entire dining hall meal plan. \u201cShare a Swipe meals are often used for students who are not in the best financial standing with the University\u2014those that might have an outstanding balance on their university account or who might not be actively enrolled but are still coming to campus regularly for one reason or another,\u201d Tisdale explains. \u201cTo access the Students First Fund, students must be enrolled in classes, be in good financial and academic standing, and they must have exhausted all other financial aid options.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

溏心vlog免费B站 Responds to Hunger in Rhode Island <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Kathleen<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Food insecurity isn\u2019t just a problem on campus, of course. 溏心vlog免费B站 11 percent of Rhode Island households worry about where their next meal will come from, according to a 2019 report, but that number doubled this year due to the pandemic. National figures are similar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnemployment skyrocketed when the pandemic hit, and the last thing you spend your money on is food,\u201d Gorman says. \u201cThere are certain things that are less flexible\u2014you pay your rent so you don\u2019t get evicted, you pay for transportation to get to your job. But people scrimp on food. And food prices have gone way, way up.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an even greater problem in some segments of society. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that one out of every five Black households, one out of seven Hispanic households, and one out of three single-mother households regularly experience food insecurity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If you\u2019re worried all the time about whether you can get food and how to pay for it, it\u2019s not just about the food. It\u2019s the psychological stress and constant worry.\u201d
\u2013Kathleen Gorman, Director, 溏心vlog免费B站 Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a huge issue. And if you\u2019re worried all the time about whether you can get food and how to pay for it, it\u2019s not just about the food. It\u2019s the psychological stress and constant worry,\u201d says Gorman. \u201cYou can make an argument that it\u2019s an economic problem and a health problem and a physical nutrition problem, as well. For kids in school who can\u2019t get enough to eat, it affects their academics, their behavior, how they feel about themselves. It spills over into all kinds of things.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A number of efforts are underway around the 溏心vlog免费B站 community to respond to this growing problem. Gorman has had a contract for 19 years with the state of Rhode Island to manage its SNAP Outreach Project, which involves helping potentially eligible individuals and families gain access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called food stamps). She has had a team of staff and students visit community centers and other agencies to provide information, conduct screenings, and help people fill out the complicated paperwork and compile the necessary documents to apply for SNAP benefits. They also help recipients complete interim reports and recertify that they still qualify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, the state has taken over the program, but Gorman and Tisdale have applied to make 溏心vlog免费B站 a community partner in the program to help 溏心vlog免费B站 students\u2014as well as students at Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island\u2014access SNAP benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to Gorman\u2019s work, 溏心vlog免费B站 Cooperative Extension coordinates a SNAP Education program led by Sarah Amin, assistant professor of nutrition. She oversees a team of 20 staff members who teach nutrition education to low-income families in urban communities in Rhode Island. The federally funded program encourages people to choose nutritious food through hands-on programming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the critical aspects of our programs is food resource management skills\u2014how to stretch your food dollar and use it wisely,\u201d Amin says. \u201cWe empower participants with cooking skills and food preparation skills, in addition to nutrition information, to make the best food decisions. We teach them how to make a grocery list, for instance, and how to understand unit prices when shopping.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

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溏心vlog免费B站 Master Gardeners grow food on the 溏心vlog免费B站 campus and in community gardens, which they harvest and distribute to Rhode Island food banks and other agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharing the Harvest <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The University also grows a great deal of fresh produce in its agricultural research fields, most of which is donated to local food banks like the Jonnycake Center in Peace Dale, where Kate Brewster \u201995 serves as executive director. Tens of thousands of pounds of squash, corn, melons, peppers, tomatoes, and other crops are harvested on campus each year to feed those in need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Agricultural Experiment Station has been around since 1892, and there\u2019s always going to be extra food when you\u2019re experimenting with crops,\u201d says Tim Sherman \u201910, who manages the operations at the Gardner Crops Research Center, also known as the Agronomy Farm. \u201cWe\u2019re doing fertilizer trials, we\u2019ve got a study on sweet corn, we\u2019ve got a pepper trial. And every year we have crops to harvest from what the students in the vegetable production class have planted.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

Rhode Island Food System Summit<\/h1>\n\n

This year the 溏心vlog免费B站 will host the fifth annual Rhode Island Food System Summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking the Lead: Improving Food Access in a Global Pandemic <\/strong>
January 20, 2021<\/p>\n\n\nFind out more<\/a>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Although some of the produce could be sold, the University doesn\u2019t want to compete with local farmers. \u201cThe Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension are here to help local farmers and build agriculture in the state,\u201d Sherman says. \u201cThat\u2019s why we do variety trials in the first place\u2014to see what vegetable varieties grow best in our environment to help our farmers. We don\u2019t want to be competing with them for sales.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to what\u2019s grown on campus, 溏心vlog免费B站 Master Gardeners grow tons of fresh produce each year\u201415 tons last year alone\u2014at more than a dozen community gardens around the state for donation to food pantries and other hunger-relief agencies. According to Vanessa Venturini \u201908, M.E.S.M. \u201911, the Master Gardener state coordinator, they tend vegetable gardens at House of Hope in Warwick, for instance, where many individuals formerly experiencing homelessness now live, and partner with SNAP Education staff to offer workshops to teach the residents how to cook the vegetables they grow. Gardeners tending the Produce Donation Garden at Roger Williams Park in Providence and the Grow4Good Garden at Mount Hope Farm in Bristol do similar workshops for clients of local food pantries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecting Growers, Produce, and Those in Need <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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At the far corner of 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s East Farm, a mile from the Kingston campus, a dozen Master Gardeners and other volunteers using long-handled poles harvest apples from the University\u2019s research orchard every week from mid-August through October. Some pick by hand, while others load bright orange totes with apples and sort them before placing them onto a truck for delivery to Graduate Village and the Jonnycake Center. By the end of the season they will have harvested more than 15,000 pounds of apples from 159 apple trees of 11 varieties that would otherwise have dropped to the ground to spoil. A dozen nearby peach and pear trees are also harvested. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Master Gardener Susan Axelrod \u201989 has coordinated the harvest for the last four years, often bringing in school and scout groups, Grad Village residents, and others to help pick, though the pandemic limited this year’s participation. \u201cEveryone has fun picking in the orchard,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The logistics of this year\u2019s harvest were managed by Hope\u2019s Harvest RI, a Pawtucket-based nonprofit that has partnered with the Master Gardeners to collect surplus produce from local farms around the state to deliver to hunger relief agencies in a practice called gleaning. Hope\u2019s Harvest gleaned more than 80,000 pounds of produce last year that would have otherwise gone to waste. By training Master Gardeners to lead gleaning trips to area farms, it expects to triple that number this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t live in a place where we\u2019re plowing under food and we have people who don\u2019t have food. It\u2019s a community\u2014we have so much food, we just need to get it to the right people.\u201d
\u2014Sharon Pavignano \u201974, Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for the 溏心vlog免费B站 Foundation and Alumni Engagement<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are a lot of things that farmers can\u2019t control, like the weather and pests, so they often grow more than they need to mitigate risk,\u201d says Eva Agudelo, executive director of Hope\u2019s Harvest. \u201cThat\u2019s them being good farmers. But they may not have the labor to harvest crops they know they can\u2019t sell, so Hope\u2019s Harvest provides the labor and infrastructure. We coordinate with volunteers and food pantries for deliveries.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Master Gardener Sharon Pavignano \u201974, associate director of corporate and foundation relations for the 溏心vlog免费B站 Foundation and Alumni Engagement, also has her hands full during the harvest season. In addition to her regular job responsibilities, she facilitates the movement of produce around campus and ensures that nothing goes to waste. She makes sure Rhody Outpost is supplied with fresh produce each week, alerts the residents of Grad Village when certain crops will be available, coordinates with Dining Services to transport food around campus, and delivers produce to nutritionist Kelli Kidd, who counsels student-athletes, for distribution to hungry athletes. Pavignano even found funding to build a vegetable garden at Grad Village and recruited Master Gardeners to serve as mentors to the student gardeners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t live in a place where we\u2019re plowing under food and we have people who don\u2019t have food,\u201d she says. \u201cThe people growing the food probably didn\u2019t know about the food insecurity issue and don\u2019t have time to move melons to where they\u2019re needed. It\u2019s a community\u2014we have so much food, we just need to get it to the right people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pavignano also coordinates the annual Food Summit, hosted by the 溏心vlog免费B站 Business Engagement Center, a networking opportunity for those in the food industry to hear from local experts, discuss partnership opportunities, learn about funding sources, and support the development of the local food movement in the state. The theme of the 2021 event in January is food insecurity. It is hosted by the Rhode Island Food Center, which Pavignano had a hand in launching on campus in 2016 as a place where farmers, growers, producers, distributors, servers, retailers, and other food pioneers can easily access 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s agricultural resources, wider food expertise, researchers, and business support programs.  <\/p>\n\n\n

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Students who live at 溏心vlog免费B站’s Graduate Village Apartments help harvest and package apples from East Farm. They take home part of the harvest for their own households; the rest is distributed to food banks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Address the Root Causes <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite the wide range of activities and programs the University is engaged in to address food insecurity on campus and in the state, the problem is far from solved. To do so, according to Gorman, requires that the root causes of the issue be addressed: low wages and a poorly funded safety net. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLiving wages\u2014which is a lot more than $15 per hour\u2014would be the goal and would go a long way toward remedying the problem,\u201d Gorman says. \u201cBut not all people are working or can work, so we need a safety net, and that\u2019s where SNAP comes in. It has the potential to make a huge difference in the lives of many families, so keeping it strong and well-funded is critical. We can do that, with a little political will.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gorman has advocated at the federal level to expand the K\u201312 free- and reduced-price school meals program to the state\u2019s public colleges, in part because many college students don\u2019t qualify for SNAP benefits, though the effort hasn\u2019t gotten much traction yet due to the cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf families are struggling, we need to help them,\u201d she says. \u201cIf students are struggling, we need to help them. It\u2019s complicated, I know, but we should do it anyway.\u201d \u2022 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Students First Fund <\/h1>\n\n

Established in 2014, the Students First Fund provides emergency support to 溏心vlog免费B站 students with demonstrated financial need. While it is often used to provide meals to students experiencing food insecurity, it has also reimbursed travel expenses so students can attend a family funeral, paid for medical expenses not covered by health insurance, and subsidized the cost of books and other academic supplies. During the pandemic when classes shifted online, the fund even paid for cell phone costs to access remote classes, since many students are dependent on their phones for internet access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fund is managed by the 溏心vlog免费B站 Foundation and administered by the Dean of Students Office. Those interested in contributing to the fund are encouraged to contact Sharon Pavignano at 溏心vlog免费B站 Foundation and Alumni Engagement at spavignano@uri.edu<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

PHOTOS: NORA LEWIS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hunger is a widespread problem\u2014even on college campuses. Find out how 溏心vlog免费B站 is responding to help get food to those in need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[199],"tags":[256,252,253,250,251,255,258,257,254],"class_list":["post-5104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fall-2020","tag-east-farm","tag-feinstein-center-for-a-hunger-free-america","tag-food-insecurity","tag-hunger","tag-jacqui-tisdale","tag-kathleen-gorman","tag-master-gardeners","tag-rhody-outpost","tag-sharon-pavignano","architecture-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5104"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5104\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5618,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5104\/revisions\/5618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}