Food insecurity – is defined as the lack of reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food. Surprisingly, food insecurity is common at colleges and universities across the country including here in the sunshine state. According to an article recently published in the Tampa Bay Times, students struggling with food insecurity logged more than 16,000 visits in 2015 to food pantries within the Florida State University System.
Here are some shocking food insecurity statistics from the Hunger on Campus Report:
- Food insecurity occurs at both two-year and four-year institutions. Twenty-five percent of community college students qualified as having very low food security, compared to 20 percent at four-year schools.
- Food insecurity was more prevalent among students of color. Fully 57 percent of Black or African American students reported food insecurity, compared to 40 percent of non-Hispanic white students.
- More than half of all first-generation students (56 percent) were food insecure, compared to 45 percent of students who had at least one parent who attended college.
- Unfortunately students often suffer the consequences of food insecurity in silence though many institutions are working to support students in need.
While food insecurity is a problem across the state and nation, our member institutions have devoted resources to help students on their campuses. Here is a snapshot of their work to date:
Florida International University opened its first Student Food Pantry in early December 2013 on its Biscayne Campus. Today, the Biscayne Bay Campus Student Food Pantry is run by the department of Healthy Living Program. FIU expanded services to include the Modesto Maidique Campus Food Pantry which is run by the Center for Leadership & Service. Learn more
University of Central Florida launched the Knights Food Pantry back in 2009 and was one of the first institutions in the State University System to do so. During National Hunger and Homeless Awareness week, November 14- 21, Volunteer UCF (VUCF), Graduate Student Association (GSA), and various campus partners,will host a week long donation drive, interactive educational events and service projects focused on hunger and homelessness issues. UCF students can contact Student Care Services for more information about the events and for directions to UCF’s Knight Food Pantry.
University of South Florida Feed-A-Bull Food Pantry is located on the USF Tampa campus and provided nearly 6,000 pounds of food in 2015. Almost 80 percent of visitors were undergraduate students. Feed-A-Bull is led by the Center for Student Well-Being, the Office of Student Outreach and Support (SOS) and Feeding America Tampa Bay. USF recently wrapped a crowdfunding campaign in support of the Feed-A-Bull Food Pantry. Learn more
Food Insecurity and Hunger Resources:
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Resources
Fighting Food Insecurity on Campus,
The Gravity of the Hunger Problem on College Campuses ,
Campus Food Pantries in the State University System
Sources:
Dubick, J., Mathews, B., & Cady, C. (n.d.). Hunger On Campus: The Challenge of Food Insecurity for College Students (Rep.). Retrieved from http://studentsagainsthunger.org/hunger-on-campus/
That line about college kids surviving on Ramen? No longer funny at many Florida schools. Tampa Times. Retrieved from http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/college/that-line-about-college-kids-surviving-on-ramen-no-longer-funny-at-many/2279265