Efforts to fight student hunger were discussed Thursday at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Campus leaders, nonprofits and advocates from across the state gathered for the fourth annual Arkansas College Hunger Summit.
The event focused on sharing ideas, stories, and strategies to address food insecurity among college students. Sylvia Blain, CEO of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, said Arkansas now faces the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation.
“We certainly need to focus on strengthening our local community organizations so that they can themselves be strong enough to rise to meet the need. When we see the federal government backing out – or even the state government, in some cases – backing out of this work, we’re going to have to step up and do it at the local level,” Blain said.
The federal government shutdown continues to press on, revoking SNAP benefits for thousands of Arkansans. Blain warned that the disruption of SNAP benefits will strongly increase demand for aid from food banks and local community organizations
“If SNAP benefits are not shored up by the federal government, come November 1st, then we will start seeing all of those families as well hit our food banks,” she said. “It’s a recipe for disaster, quite honestly.
Sydnie Monegan represented the national nonprofit Swipe Out Hunger, which helps colleges measure and strengthen their hunger relief efforts. Monagan urged more Arkansas colleges to share food pantry data.
“I need these numbers to be more robust. It is hard to go to a state representative and say that your state is in need and then only get four responses. Then they’ll be like ‘Well they don’t look like they’re that much in need,’” Monegan said.
The summit challenged campuses to join the fight in ending student hunger, urging them to collect stories, build data, and continue to advocate for policies that ensure no student or family goes hungry.