Understanding Food Insecurity
Rightfully so, a student has no obligation to share their past with their peers. Then how are they expected to react when their friends mock the dining hall food in front of them while it’s the best meal they’ve ever had?
Food insecurity is defined as the dilemma of a person not having access to a stable food source, and it is a massive issue for college students currently. There have been countless studies conducted, all introducing a new differentiation, whether it be the impact of race, class, gender, sexuality, etc. Moreover, we had the covid pandemic that greatly affected the economic status of families.
Empathizing with Food Insecurity
Around this time, I think of the family who runs a local Chinese restaurant near my home. They would greet us with a smile every time we came in but ultimately had to shut down for the entire pandemic due to hysteria and racism towards Asian people. I think about their children and how they will go into college, missing out on almost two years’ worth of income. I’m sure you also are thinking of the transgender classmate from high school who was kicked out of their house. You are questioning how they are battling their own food insecurity in college. Or maybe it’s the Black family who was forced out of your neighborhood due to gentrification and forced to readjust. You might think about how their children are finding college.
When you arrive at college, there is this beauty of being able to redefine yourself. No one needs to share their background as long as they have the security of keeping their past to themselves. Not many want to proudly claim they struggle to find the next meal. It is why I encourage food-secure students not to take their accommodations for granted. It’s not an attack, but a critique, so don’t get your back up. No one’s necessarily trying to be malicious toward financially struggling students. Humans make ignorant mistakes sometimes, and we learn from them. Learn from this because you might be sitting next to a food insecure person in your next class.
Lastly, to those reading which are the very students who rely on a meal plan to feed themselves, do not feel ashamed. Life deals us with our cards, and you are not worthless for being dealt different ones from the sorority girl or the D2 athlete in class behind you.
Acting upon Prevention of Food Insecurity
How can you play a part? Before complaining about another Taco Tuesday, offer to take a struggling student out to lunch or participate in campus food drives. Continue to support minority-owned businesses so they can put their posterity through school. The beauty of the human race has always been when we can help each other. Your campus is a community, and its small population has the ability to make a big change.