The Bear Essentials Food Pantry recently shared a photo on Facebook showcasing the aftermath of 40 clients visiting in a day.
“Please help,” the pantry staff said in their post. “Our shelves are almost bare. Anything you can donate is welcome!”
What used to be a stocked pantry, full of donations from the Conway community, is now picked over, forcing the staff to beg its Facebook followers for help to restock its shelves.
With Thanksgiving break on the horizon, it is the perfect time to prioritize support to one of UCA’s most vital resources.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to look forward to a warm, home-cooked meal next week. In fact, some college students suffer from food insecurity every day.
Our administration’s priorities must be misplaced if the food pantry is being forced to beg for donations to feed the students that UCA claims it cares about.
Such a prevalent issue cannot be swept under the rug. Of course, students should give when they are able, but college students do not have the means to provide the kind of constant support that the pantry requires.
There are things students can do to help, but this issue should not fall on the shoulders of students alone. The issue is far too important.
UCA administration should be held accountable to take the leading role in combating hunger on campus. We attend a university with outrageously expensive meal plans. With all of that money, I’m sure the university has some to spare for such an important cause. The success of a large portion of their student population depends on it.
A 2016 study from Students Against Hunger found that 48% of college students reported food insecurity in the previous 30 days, “including 22% with very low levels that qualify them as hungry.”
The study found that Black students were affected at a higher rate — 57% reported food insecurity compared to their peers.
These numbers highlight an unbalanced precedent on college campuses across the country, and they are sobering, especially when considering the high demand that the Bear Essentials Pantry currently faces.
Students should not have to worry about where their next meal will come from when pursuing their education. Without access to the most basic of necessities, food-insecure students cannot be expected to perform at the same level as those who are privileged enough to have access to food.
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health conducted a long-term study on food insecurity in college students. Findings indicated that food insecurity among college students is not only associated with lower college graduation rates and a lower chance of obtaining a bachelor’s or advanced degree but is also a contributing cause.
Food insecurity, defined by the study as “a household’s lack of consistent access to adequate food resources,” was also found to impact first-generation college students at a higher rate — where only 47% received a degree.
According to FirstGen@UCA, nearly 30% of new students at UCA are first-generation, meaning they are the first in their families to attend college.
Now, you may choose to brush this issue off, but food insecurity affects Arkansans more than you think. We are the fourth poorest state in the country — with a poverty rate of 15.1% — and the second highest percentage of households experiencing food insecurity in the nation, according to the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
If that isn’t local enough for you, Faulkner county’s percentage of food-insecure households matches that of the state percentage, according to Aspire Arkansas. To put that into perspective, 18,870 households in Faulkner county experienced food insecurity in 2019.
Low-income students deserve equal access to opportunities and success. There is no reason that any student should be food-insecure on a campus that has the means to provide it for a high cost.