Campus programs ensure students won’t go hungry

By Sha’de Ray
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer

As Towson University’s FoodShare program manager, the students that impact Shani McLean the most are the ones who come in the first time.

They say they wish they’d known of the program earlier. They tell her how helpful the program is. And they don’t go home hungry.

McLean is a AmeriCorps VISTA worker who is managing the campus FoodShare program, a food pantry on the first floor of the Health and Counseling Centers. McLean has expanded the program and helped raise awareness about food insecurity.

“It’s such a common experience among college students but it’s not a conversation that is usually had,” McLean said. “There’s so many students that don’t really know they are food insecure or know what food security is.”

McLean has offered educational programs such as financial literacy, nutritional literacy, cooking demonstrations and popup pantries. The program recently received a refrigerator which will allow them to store more fresh produce starting next semester. Staff are also working on helping students apply for SNAP benefits.

In the coming years, officials would like to move into a bigger location to allow for an open layout like a grocery store.

“We try to not only meet students’ immediate needs but also serve them for the long term,” McLean said.

Food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to food to sustain an active and healthy lifestyle, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It happens on a spectrum. While some may have access to no food, others may only have access to highly-processed foods such as ramen.

Adam Melfa is the Interim Manager of Students Outreach and Support on campus. Financial insecurity contributes to the problem, he said. Finances are often the only flexible aspect of a student’s life that they can control—as opposed to fixed costs like rent, tuition or utilities.

“So it tends to be that thing where they skip a meal, have something less healthy so they can still afford to do those other things,” Melfa said.

Melfa helps students by connecting them to resources. His office maintains a Food Insecurity Fund that can grant a $100 OneCard allowance to qualified students. This supplement to the FoodShare program minimizes the stigma attached to going to a food pantry, he said.

Often it’s also the first step to realizing that one is food insecure. Students don’t come directly to the food pantry—they’ll come in to talk about other issues first, such as attendance, low grades or mental health.

“If financial concerns come up, I would say for the majority of the students that I work with, if they mention finances, food insecurity is wrapped into that,” Melfa said. “Even if it’s not something that they are cognizantly aware of.”

Laurie Taylor-Mitchell, President and Founder of Students Support Network, said food insecurity can cause students stress, anxiety, lack of concentration and insomnia.

“Nobody can live without food and you can’t learn without food,” Taylor-Mitchell said. “What would it be like to go without breakfast or lunch and have an exam in the afternoon?”

Melfa said students shouldn’t have to face food insecurity alone.

“I think the best way to address food insecurity is to make it not an issue,” Melfa said. “Let people understand that this is a normal thing that can happen to anyone whether you are a first-generation student, star athlete, or work for the school.”