by Shannon Williamson
Director, Learning Resource Center, University of New Orleans
Between the rising cost of higher education, the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Ida, and the recent inflation of basic needs like gas and groceries, more and more students on Louisiana’s college campuses are battling food insecurity. In a 2021 report, the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice reported that 41% of college students at two- and four-year institutions experienced food insecurity within the past month. Food insecurity can negatively impact a students’ mental and physical health and negatively impact their academic performance.
Learning Assistance Centers are often a students’ entry point in accessing campus support services. Here at UNO, we are lucky to have the Privateer Pantry on campus where any student can go to get supplemental food support and hygiene products. We train both our student and professional staff to make referrals to other campus resources as needed, but this academic year we are bringing a mobile pantry to the Learning Resource Center to break barriers and support student success.
We began simply by placing snack and meal items from the pantry in our “Brain Food Bucket.” We choose the food items by considering both the nutritional and hedonic value of the food. Food items are prepackaged and include things like protein or fiber bars, tuna fish salad kits, veggie straws, macaroni and cheese microwave cups, sipping soups, squeezable fruit pouches, and water. In addition to the snack items, we keep school supplies like scantrons and pencils for exams, note cards, pens, and highlighters available for students to take as well. Every student who enters the center is invited to take what they need from the Brain Food Bucket or our supply shelf.
Providing food and school supplies to students is a start but we must do so with empathy and equity in mind. We work daily to ensure that the dignity of every student is respected and train our professional and student staff to consider the many obstacles and challenges that all students face as they navigate college during every interaction in the Learning Resource Center. We are actively working on getting to know students' cultural food preferences and dietary restrictions so the foods we offer are more inclusive.
While we have only been offering the Brain Food Bucket for a short time, students have had a favorable response. One student shared that they have been so stressed about school, that often when they are on campus, they forget to eat because of their worry but having a snack with their tutoring session helped them to be able to focus better. Another student shared that they liked eating a snack with their tutor because they didn’t feel stigma. She stated “I get hungry a lot and I feel embarrassed. But here the snacks feel like we’re special. You know how when a nice salon will offer you something to drink? It feels like that when I come to the LRC.” A third student shared that she received free lunch and breakfast in high school and it's been a big transition not having that during her first year of college and that having access to food the LRC has made that easier.
Dr. Jennifer Dorian, the faculty coordinator for Peer Assisted Study Sessions at Fresno City College, has researched providing food in learning assistance centers since 2014. She found that providing food in her learning center increased attendance for Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring exponentially. She provides training on providing basic needs assistance in learning centers across the country through her Brain Food Project with EASe (empathy, awareness, and sensitivity for equity).
Now you may be thinking “This sounds great, but I don’t have the funds to supply food in my center.” Neither do we! The Privateer Pantry is run by the Office of Student Affairs and is funded by private donations to a UNO Foundation Account. Food items in the Learning Resource Center are paid for by Pantry Funds and I coordinate with our partners in Student Affairs to obtain the items. Sometimes, they have an abundance of items in stock, and I pick them up from the campus pantry. Other times, I purchase the items myself and get reimbursed from the Pantry account. Our office supports Pantry fundraising efforts throughout the year. If your campus doesn’t have a food pantry you can partner with, try contacting your campus dining services or local community partners for donations. You can even host your own Brain Food drive by letting faculty and staff who refer students to your center know about your efforts and seeking donations through a wish list.
Partnering with our campus pantry is my big idea for student success this academic year. What's yours? We'd love to hear more about it and feature it on our LCLCA blog!
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