NEWS

Initiative targets student food insecurity

The snack station located in the writing center are intentionally stocked with snacks that have nutritional value and resources to help students who are struggling. Lily Merritt | Washtenaw Voice

By Zabrina Yanella
Contributor

On any given day you can see swarms of students flocking to the Student Center to grab a bite to eat, but what happens when you are the odd one out and do not even know where your next meal is coming from?

Food security is a rising dilemma amongst community college students, especially when most go to school full time while paying for classes on a minimum wage budget. Statistics from the USDA show an estimated 12.9% of households in Michigan experience food insecurity, similar to the national average.

According to the Association of Community College Trustees, 42% of students attending two-year institutions may qualify as food insecure. This means almost half of students attending community colleges are “without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food,” as defined by the Oxford Dictionary.

Domonic Trobaugh, second year music major at WCC, sees food insecurity as a critical situation on campus, especially when it comes to financial status and time management.

“I sort of experience this myself in terms of time. I usually find myself skipping breakfast most frequently,” Trobaugh said. “I’m either trying to save my pennies, or I just can’t afford to wait in the lines because I’d end up being late to class.”

WCC has made an effort to ensure students do not go hungry during their journey in higher education. The WCC Foundation has a student emergency fund, which was designed to assist WCC students with emergencies, such as shut off notices, unexpected car repairs, medical expenses and food.
Each year, students may apply for a maximum annual award of $500 per student upon availability of funds.

For the 2018-19 school year, 190 WCC students used resources such as the emergency food pantry. Each year, this number increases at WCC by approximately 25%, according to data from the WCC Student Resource Center.

Students are eligible to apply for the emergency fund if they: are currently registered and attending class, have completed a semester, and have not received emergency funds during the current academic year. However, prior academic standing will be examined.

For more information on how to apply, go to the financial aid office or visit: wccnet.edu/services/financial-aid/scholarships/student-emergency-fund/.
In addition to the emergency fund, the student resource center also provides an on-campus emergency food pantry.

“The SRC tries to promote the pantry through various mediums on campus,” said Carol Tinkle, counseling and career planning project and data administrative assistant. “We want to make sure those students who are struggling with food insecurity are aware we have a pantry on campus and that they are welcome. We do have some special events during the year where we offer fresh items. One of those is our Fresh Produce Days, where any student can grab a piece of fresh produce,” Tinkle said.

The student resource center recently partnered with Aramark and New Student Programming for its first annual PB&J day. On Wednesday, October 9, students passing through the first floor of the Student Center could receive a free peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

The Emergency Food Pantry can be found on the second floor of the Student Center room 206 and is open to any students who have met with a SCR case manager beforehand.

Most recently, the WCC Writing Center has began piloting a snack station in the hopes that it will help combat food insecurity amongst students.

The snack station is located in the front of the writing center and the initial stock of snacks have been donated by full-time, part-time and adjunct faculty of the English department at WCC. Donations are accepted and can be dropped off in the writing center. For more information, contact Tom Zimmerman, director of the writing center or call the writing center at 734-973-3647.

In addition to the many resources housed at WCC there are also many outside resources for students facing food insecurity.

Co-founded by the Michigan State Student Food Bank and the Oregon State University Food Bank in 2012, The College & University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA) is an organization that focuses on creating campus-based programs that help alleviating food insecurity, hunger and poverty among college and university students in the United States.

To find a pantry near you, go to cufba.org.