Campus Clubs

Fran Coulter Honors Students Presenters at Arkansas College HUNGER SUMMIT

by DEBORAH STANUCH

Food insecurity, described as a condition of having inadequate food due to a lack of resources, affects Americans of all ages, including college students. At ASUMH, the struggles of students who face food insecurity are familiar, according to Cassie Jankowski, a Fran Coulter Honors student. She says faculty and staff do outreach to help students in need and support the efforts of programs addressing food insecurity on the campus, including a student-operated food pantry and providing baskets of free food in campus buildings frequented by students.

Last August, the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and Honors Arkansas extended an invitation to Arkansas colleges, including ASUMH, to participate in a student-led and focused statewide Arkansas College Hunger Summit. Jankowski and Arkansas Honors students and brothers Jude and Joseph Dillon accepted the invitation and began a study on food insecurity among college students through a collaboration of Honors Arkansas and the Fran Coulter Honors Program, directed by Dr. Rebecca Baird.

Over 30 colleges and universities in Arkansas were represented at the summit held in April at Heifer International Pavilion in Little Rock with officials and representatives from the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Arkansas legislators and AR Food Bank in attendance.

Jankowski and both Jude and Joseph Dillon were selected to be part of a panel of nine students who presented their findings to those in attendance. The panel shared the results of their research including a survey of 4,000 students where 40 percent said they cannot afford balanced daily meals and have difficulty focusing on their studies due to lack of food. Thirtyfive percent of those surveyed reported physical weakness due to lack of food and 33 percent said they have skipped meals due to a lack of financial resources.

Jeff Quick, CEO of the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas said, “I’m impressed with the level of professionalism our ASUMH students showed at the College Hunger Summit. The depth of understanding these students have about food insecurity is outstanding. I look forward to working with them and continue to identify ways to end hunger on our college campuses and through the food bank’s nine-county service area.”

ASUMH was one of the 24 schools present that received a $1,000 grant check for their food pantry and a one-year membership in the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

The Garcia Family Arkansas Fund, a component fund of the Arkansas Community Foundation, sponsored the event. ■

“I’m impressed with the level of professionalism our ASUMH students showed at the College Hunger Summit. — Jeff Quick, CEO of the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas

From left: Jude Dillon, Cassie Jankowski, and Joseph Dillon.