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| Photo: Roger Winstead/NC State University |
As a VISTA at
Durham Technical Community College, I encounter students in
crisis almost every day. While students are pursuing training or education to
help them attain employment or transfer to a four-year institution, they are
often performing a difficult balancing act between work and family commitments.
Many live in chronic poverty and experience homelessness and food insecurity.
Although we are developing programs to address these needs among our campus
community, I often have to turn students seeking help away or refer them to
outside agencies because our school struggles with inadequate resources. These
complex problems require multifaceted solutions. Such was the topic of
conversation on October 10-11, when representatives from campuses across North
Carolina gathered to dialogue about what can be done to end hunger within our
lifetime, examining systemic issues that must be addressed and discussing
initiatives on campuses that fight food insecurity.
Systemic Issues That Must Be
Addressed
Phil Gordon of
Single Stop USA put it best when he
said, "our students shouldn't have to choose between groceries and
graduation." On Day 1 of the conference, representatives from NC colleges
joined together to learn about the Single Stop model. This program, which
connects clients with screening for social services, legal assistance, and financial
counselors, has been implemented at community centers, including some community
colleges, in seven states across the country. Although Single Stop does not
currently serve North Carolina, attendees shared their experiences with the
Benefit Bank of NC,
which operates with a similar model on some NC community college campuses. Many
are finding that our students, who juggle full schedules and often have
difficulty navigating the complex bureaucracies of social welfare agencies and
programs, can achieve greater success when resources are available at
easy-to-access locations. In addition to services such as Benefit Bank, NC
State University and Durham Technical Community College reported developing
food pantries for students, faculty, and staff who are experiencing food
insecurity and have difficulty accessing SNAP benefits or other community food
resources due to eligibility requirements.
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| Attendees packaged 10,000 meals. Photo: Roger Winstead/NC State University |
For the evening keynote on Day 1,
David Lambert, an expert on global food
security, reminded us that hunger is not only an issue affecting the success of
our students and the health of our community – it is also a threat to the well-being of our nation. A study by the
Sodexo Foundation found
that hunger costs the United States an estimated $167 billion each year due to
hunger-related illness, decreased worker productivity, and lower educational
attainment. There is a direct correlation between food security and national
security, as evidenced by the global food riots of 2008, yet our political will
struggles to catch up with our core values. Quoting from the Book of Isaiah,
Lambert called us to serve by saying “if you offer food to the hungry, your
light will rise in the darkness.” The evening drew to a close with a meal
packaging event with one of the event sponsors,
Stop Hunger Now.
Initiating a Campus-Wide Effort
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| Photo: Roger Winstead/NC State University |
Day 2 allowed attendees the opportunity to take a closer look at hunger-fighting
programs on other campuses. Morning poster sessions showcased programs from
schools like NC School of Science and Math, which holds an annual record-breaking
food drive, and Meredith College, which expanded the Daisy Trade ReUse Store to
include staple food items for students in need. The morning keynote by
Dr. June Henton of
Auburn
University emphasized tackling global issues such as hunger as a valuable
educational tool for students. Fighting hunger not only addresses a pressing
human need, it prepares the next generation to be socially conscious leaders.
Although not all the campuses present have the resources to form such incredible
programming in the fight against hunger, the Auburn campus showcase emphasized
that the community partnerships and educational opportunities created through
college programs addressing hunger are often naturally aligned with an
institution’s strategic educational goals. The following work sessions allowed
campuses to share their existing programs and new ideas and collaborations.
Ray Buchanan, founder and international president of Stop Hunger Now,
brought the conference to a close with a call to action. Moved by the vision of
an end to hunger within our lifetime, he reminded all present that hunger is “an
obscenity, a moral outrage.” Regardless of the current political or economic
situation in our region or our schools, we all work in positions of privilege
that come with the responsibility to do more to improve the lives of others. As
we declared our commitments at our schools, we made the next steps in a continuing
dialogue about hunger in our campuses, our state, our nation, and our world.
View more photos of the event
