Most of us are aware with what ‘Food Insecurity’ stands for.
Some of us have even experienced it at some point in our lives.
For the rest; Food Insecurity is technically defined as a “state in which consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year”. You get the gist! It basically is any sort of uncertainty to be able to secure food for the day and next. Besides, this being an unfortunate issue in our community, it is heart-breaking to see its existence so prominently around us.
Living in this Food Dessert is as tough as it gets. In addition, maintaining a proper level of nourishment by including different food components like legumes, leafy vegetables, etc, is another task. These foods for one, are not inexpensive or easily available to students. And two, not many students retain or are aware of what their daily nutrients intake should be. Therefore, re-learning some basics while introducing access to Food Shelves would be beneficial.
Our college campus, fortunately gives a lot of thought to this issue of Food insecurity. We have a Food Shelf up and running, accessible for students offering a variety of different products ranging from cereal to soups. However, adding healthier options and offering more items in the Frozen foods section could increase utility.
The problem as of now is that we have stock supplies that are simply not reaching the ones in need. Since, we have a super low Food Shelf usage ratio compared to the number of students who live on-campus.
I hope more students learn and use the available facilities.