Informative: Resources for food Insecurity on HBCU campus

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable food in socially acceptable ways (USDA, 2015). In the United States, food insecurity on college campuses is a growing problem, and students on some Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ campuses are particularly impacted in a negative way by this problem. According to Cady (2014), African American students on college campuses have higher percentages of food insecurity than the U.S. population as a whole. There are several reasons that account for this reality, including the fact that African Americans are generally among the lowest income and the fact that there are insufficient sources of food on campus (Cady, 2014, p. 268).  This is continuously a problem that needs to be addressed by social workers and other community leaders, and campus administrators.

There are resources available on some campuses to alleviate food insecurity. There are many food banks and food pantries across the nation that is assisting in helping each student in need of food. Nationwide, more than 280 colleges and universities now have food pantries (Wells, 2016).  This increase in food pantries could potentially indicate a decrease in food insecurity and hunger. Having food banks present on HBCU campuses will eliminate much of the stress that these college students face while thinking about the money they need to get food and simultaneously focusing on homework and studying.  The College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA) is one organization that is attempting to decrease or eliminate food insecurity among colleges (Davis, 2015). Thanks to the efforts of the CUFBA, there are more than 250 food pantries operating on college campuses around the country, whereas there were just a few operating less than ten years ago (Goldrick-Rab & Broton, 2016).  

While expanding increasing the presence of food banks are potential solutions that should be implemented on college campuses, action should also be taken by campus administrations. Action should be taken on a long term basis that requires interdisciplinary approaches that would include campus administrations coming together with nonprofit organizations that would provide more sources for food. Campus administration’s partnership with nonprofit organizations can be referral based, meaning that the campus and organization maintain open lines of communication that provide students with information about services and support at both the campus and the nonprofit organization (Cady, 2014, p. 269).  Also the partnership can be contractual, connecting the agency and campus through shared resources to develop programs in support of students. These programs that are provided will help decrease hunger and eliminate food insecurity among college students (Cady, 2014). 

As stated earlier, food insecurity is a major problem on the HBCU campus. This problem is going unnoticed by college administrators, social workers, and community leaders.  Students are unable to focus on their studies due to hunger. Henceforth, Food pantries and partnerships should be offered on every HBCU campus.  When these changes start to take place, colleges will start to see a positive change in student academics. Also, there will be a decrease in hunger and food insecurity among students, specifically those that attend HBCUs.