The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently expanded resources for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to students who were previously ineligible for these benefits. These temporary expansions came about in mid-January and are meant to provide simplicity to families and individuals who were affected by COVID. Geneseo’s Food Security Advocates (FSA) are collaborating with the administration to create an on-campus food pantry.
According to the USDA website, there are two main exceptions for students who go to school at least part time. SNAP will now be providing food security to students who are either “eligible to participate in state or federally financed work study” or “have an expected family contribution of zero.”
In an article written by The Lamron on Dec. 5, 2019, the SUNY Food Insecurity Task Force had recently published the results of a survey conducted in 2018 that reached students SUNY-wide regarding their experiences with hunger. Five-hundred twenty Geneseo students responded to the survey.
According to the survey results, approximately 40 percent of Geneseo students said they didn’t eat when they were hungry because they couldn’t afford it, one in four students were unable to focus as a result of their hunger and 20 percent of students actually know how they could receive food assistance if they needed it.
“The 2019 study by SUNY food insecurity task force showed that two out of five [students] said that they skipped meals because they couldn't afford them,” Director of Student Volunteerism and Community Engagement Garth Freeman said. “While the 520 [survey-participating students] aren’t necessarily representative of the 5,500 students that were attending Geneseo, it does show that there's a decent need at the college.”
Food Security Advocates is a student organization associated with the Office of Student Volunteerism and Community Engagement created to increase food security and hunger relief efforts on campus.
Co-chair of FSA Robbie Economou said that he interpreted the survey results to reveal that 30 to 40 percent of Geneseo students face some degree of food insecurity. Since 2019, FSA has been working towards breaking down the stigmas that may prevent food insecure students from seeking resources.
“Something that we used to do was help students get signed up for SNAP. That's not something that we've been able to do recently, especially with COVID, but we're working to create an on-campus food pantry for the fall,” Economou said. “A fundamental part of that would be having trained volunteers there who would help students get signed up for SNAP, because SNAP is definitely the key part of solving food insecurity in our country, especially at this point.”
According to Economou, FSA has a good relationship with SNAP, and he stated that the program is the key in promoting food security.
“We just hope that our state continues to expand access because it is really just essential that all students are able to get food assistance when they need it in any form that that comes, especially with SNAP, which is an essential part of it,” Economou said.
The food pantry FSA is proposing is not a guarantee, but Economou said the group is hopeful that it will be, since it would serve as an on-campus satellite location for the Geneseo-Groveland Emergency Food Pantry, a location that FSA already works with to deliver food to all accessible students.
Freeman said that he is working closely with Vice President for Student and Campus Life Michael Taberski and Executive Director of Campus Auxiliary Services Mat Felthousen to pilot this pantry by fall 2021.
“Everybody is on board with, you know, trying to find solutions that meet everybody's needs and accommodate all the folks that might need the support,” Freeman said.