Food insecurity is defined as not being able to have consistent access to healthy or affordable food.
According to a research study entitled Hunger on Campus, 48% of college students across the United States faced food insecurity in 2016. Of those students, 22% identified as routinely going without food and 12% of community college students reported facing food insecurity.
Winthrop requires students who live outside of the commuting distance to live on-campus for freshman and sophomore year. Meal plans are required during the mandated on-campus residency. This allows students to have consistent access to food, whether that be at Thomson, Markley’s, or any other on–campus dining option.
Students who live off-campus may experience more food insecurity than on–campus residents, reported Hunger on Campus. This could be because students are not expected to purchase meal plans, which grant them access to campus food services. Without a guaranteed source of food, students will not be able to consistently access healthy and affordable meals.
Food insecurity affects more than just students’ abilities to purchase or consume food. 81% of the students interviewed by Hunger on Campus reported that their academic performance was declining and 25% of these students consequently dropped their classes, both to save on tuition costs and to bring up their overall GPA.
Food insecurity can also lead to deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, which can damage the immune system. Nutritional deficiencies can also impact sleeping patterns, endocrine levels and mental health. Stress levels would rise, further impacting students’ ability to perform academically.
Rock Hill has a total population of 76,159, according to the 2020 Census. Feeding America reported 18% of Rock Hill’s citizens facing food insecurity. 30% of the people impacted by local food insecurity are children under the age of 18.
With nearly a quarter of Rock Hill’s population facing food insecurity, something has to be done. Hunger on Campus suggests that more schsools create food pantries to better assist their students. Planting community gardens would also be a cost–effective way to help students gain access to healthy foods.
Even though food insecurity is prevalent on college campuses throughout America, it is not due to student laziness. Hunger on Campus reported that students facing insecurity had paying jobs (56%), had purchased meal plans (43%), were eligible for food stamps (25%) or received additional tuition assistance (52%). Students are working incredibly hard to balance academics and personal life, let alone worrying about where their next meal will come from.
Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor of Sociology at Temple University, had an interesting viewpoint when it comes to how the general public assumes student poverty begins.
“Efforts to increase college completion rates must be broadened to include attention to material hardship,” Goldrick-Rab wrote in the December 2017 issue of Educational Researcher. “Stereotypes of undergraduates eating ramen noodles and couch surfing work against this.”
According to Feeding America, there were 316 food pantries on college campuses nationwide as of October 2019. 129 food banks affiliated with Feeding America are actively searching for new ways to help students gain access to food and housing resources. Winthrop University has one of these pantries.
Winthrop’s food pantry is located in the Office of Student Affairs in DiGS 238. Students may take what they need without worrying about payment. While there, students can select from a large collection of dry goods, nonperishables and food seasonings (salt, pepper, syrup, etc.).
To inquire about donating to Winthrop’s food bank contact Sheila Higgs Burkhalter, the Student Affairs Vice President, via email at burkhalters@winthrop.edu. You can also call the Office of Student Affairs at 803-323-2251. Students are also encouraged to reach out to Student Affairs if they are in need of resources to end food insecurity.
Photo by Emma Crouch
