MELISSA BLOCK, host: This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host: And I'm Robert Siegel.
The unemployment rate is stubbornly high across the country. New census data shows that young people, those under 24, are facing some of the highest poverty rates and that has led to a rise of food pantries on college campuses.
NPR's Kathy Lohr reports on one effort at the University of Georgia.
KATHY LOHR: Colleges bring to mind images of ivy-covered halls and wealthy students. But that's not necessarily the case. Food pantries are becoming more common on campuses as the effects of the recession drag on.
MEGAN JANASIEWICZ: I think there's definitely more of a need than people actually would think.
LOHR: Megan Janasiewicz helps manage the newly opened food pantry at the University of Georgia started by students. In the first few weeks, more than 200, both graduate and undergraduate, students have visited the pantry looking for staples.
JANASIEWICZ: We do recognize that there are students in our community that are putting down a lot of money and taking out major student loans in this economy and aren't able to rely on their parents because they've either lost a job or just, you know, the parents aren't able to write those checks and they live paycheck-to-paycheck just as much as the students do.
LOHR: Lucio Benzor from Fayetteville, Georgia searches the shelves of the small closet that's become the food pantry in a building across from the student union. It's stocked with chicken soup, cans of tuna, peanut butter and lots of ramen noodles. Benzor says his parents, who owned a small accounting business, are struggling.
LUCIO BENZOR: We're going through bankruptcy right now, so that's a thing, too. So money has been tight.
LOHR: Benzor's shy and says he doesn't want to take too much, but he says he needs the help because of the economy.
BENZOR: It's the fact that my parents and indirectly me - well, directly me just because the Board of Regents has had to raise tuition and institute fees and then - yeah. I've have less to work with. It's frustration.
LOHR: Benzor is paying for college with grants, student loans and he's got a part-time job. He says he'd work more, but he can't get more hours at his work study job.
Travis Lubin also stopped by.
TRAVIS LUBIN: I've got a couple of cans of tuna in here. I've got some cereal, some mashed potatoes, pudding and then just like some crackers and bars and things.
LOHR: Twenty-two-year-old Lubin is a foreign language major with a scholarship that pays most of his tuition. He says he pays for all his expenses - rent, utilities and food.
LUBIN: In this time, just obviously where money is just a lot tighter and people are becoming a lot more mindful of that. It's a really useful thing that people can have where it's just this aid where, you know, again, something simple like just some ramen and some soup can really just go a long way, you know, just to help out.
LOHR: At the University of Georgia, students don't have to meet any economic guidelines to use the pantry. The only requirement is that they show a student ID and sign a waiver. It turns out the shaky economy has caused more universities to open pantries like this, many started by students for students. There are a couple at Florida schools, Iowa State, the University of Arkansas and Wisconsin opened their versions earlier this year.
Nate Smith-Tyge is director of the Michigan State University food bank that's been around since the 1990s.
NATE SMITH-TYGE: There are the sort of economic difficulties that have faced our state for a little bit longer than they've faced the nations. There is clearly need, especially food need, out there and we have the opportunity to help meet some of that need and so that people can focus on staying in school full time and taking care of their family.
LOHR: Smith-Tyge says the Michigan State pantry will likely serve more than 4,500 students this year. According to the latest U.S. Census information, poverty among children and among 18 to 24 year olds has skyrocketed over the past decade. Nearly 22 percent of all young adults have incomes below the poverty level.
Jim Weill is head of the Washington, D.C. based Food Research and Action Center.
JIM WEILL: Whether they're in the job market full time as high school graduates or recent college graduates or part time because they're students, the situation has gotten a lot worse for 18- to 24-year-olds.
LOHR: Food banks, both on and off campuses, are helping, but labor analysts suggest it's going to take more jobs and higher paying jobs to turn things around.
Kathy Lohr, NPR News, Atlanta.
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you feel that student poverty is a problem at UGA? If so, do you think this pantry can help to curb hunger issues? What do you think the benefits and repercussions of having this food bank are?
2. As more and more people face hunger issues each day, what are some programs you would like to see at the University to address these issues? Do you think it is the University's responsibility to make sure it's students aren't going hungry, why or why not?
1. Yes, I do think money issues are a large issue at UGA but I wouldn't goes as far as using the term poverty. Many students facing financial issues are still managing decent lifestyles through credit cards, loans, etc. However this does not dismiss the fact that for many students, money is a huge issue that cannot be ignored. I have volunteered at the UGA student food pantry before but it is hard for me to gauge just how much of the student population is truly "hungry"?
ReplyDeleteI almost feel that the food pantry is just providing food to those who are well deserving of it but are not necessarily going hungry every night without it. Food pantries are great in what they do but are not the cure all of money and food issues. Often times food pantries are stocked with low quality, cheap, and highly processed foods that have a long shelf life. Those dependent on food pantries therefore suffer from a lack of nutrition in their diet resulting in various health issues including malnutrition.
I am not exactly sure how they fund the food bank but some other issues include an eventual shortage of food, students uncomfortable with going to get food, students taking advantage of it, students forming a dependency on the food supply even if they do eventually have financial security, etc. However positive aspects include the opportunity for students to access food if they are truly not able to afford it on their own. However this is still only a temporary fix.
2. As far as programs go I'm really not sure off the top of my head. I'm sure if I knew programs that could solve this issue some student on campus would be working to make it happen. As for feeding the student population, I believe in the saying if "if you give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. But if you teach him to fish, he'll have food for a lifetime" (something along those lines). What I mean is that just simply handing out food is not the answer but real changes need to happen to make sure students go to class with a full stomach. I wish I knew a particular program that could eradicate this issue but I don't.
I'm on the fence about if it is the University's responsibility to make sure students don't go hungry. The basic and key responsibility of a University is simply to supply an education to attending students. All of the other amenities such as the number of dining halls, are almost always subjective and are what differentiate one secondary school from another. To put feeding all students a University's responsibility is asking alot and raises many issues. For instance, if it is UGA's responsibility to feed those who are "hungry" then would UGA have to supply free food to ALL students? How would UGA decipher who really needs the food or not? Would it be a part of tuition? Would students who can afford their own food essentially be paying for those who can't? How would it be regulated? These questions raise some concerns with the idea.
One the other hand, students pay an outrageous amount to attend universities such as UGA, especially those not receiving HOPE or out-of-state students. A program such as this would be very beneficial to all those in need and make sure that everyone at least had the opportunity to access food.
In the end I guess I don't think it should be UGA's responsibility but instead it should be addressed at a higher level such as the government.
1. I would assume that student hunger is more of a problem then most people realize. It is a great idea to have something like the food pantry to help with these issues, but unfortunately there is a stigma against taking aid is this form that I am sure many would like to avoid. Hopefully the students that do need the food will see the pantry as an opportunity, but I think making food available with as much privacy as possible will help decrease the unfortunate stigma.
ReplyDelete2. A change I would love to see the student body make is just to have an increased food community. It's amazing how many people can be fed adequately when forces are combined, but so often pride gets in the way of leading a group of people to work together to get food. As far as UGA's role in the matter, I think anything they can do to help is fantastic, but I think the issue is much broader~ focused on the mindset of the community at large.