STUDENT FOOD INSECURITY. Tips to raise awareness of student food insecurity on your campus!

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1 STUDENT FOOD INSECURITY Tips to raise awareness of student food insecurity on your campus! Table of Contents

2 The table of contents is empty because you aren t using the paragraph styles set to appear in it. Introduction For the last 20 years, Meal Exchange has supported student leaders to address hunger in their communities. Until recently, we were unaware of the extent of food insecurity among the student population itself. In 2015, in response to the voices of our students describing growing numbers of visitors at campus food banks, we embarked on the largest cross-campus study of student food insecurity to date. Our results showed that food insecurity impacts a large proportion of the student population: 39% of students experienced moderate or severe levels of food insecurity. Having a statistic to assign to the problem of student hunger was powerful: we had a feature in Maclean s Magazine which garnered numerous impressions and engagements on 2

3 social media and our findings were shared in over a dozen student, community, and national newspapers. However, this rate of student food insecurity is only a glimpse into the reality of the problem and does not help us to see the lived-experience of students facing food insecurity. This toolkit was designed to help you learn how to be a food security ally, as well as give you concrete steps to take. Outlined are events you can run to help create a dialogue on campus for student food insecurity. What is Food Insecurity? To define food insecurity, it is simplest to first understand its counterpart, food security. Food Security is broadly defined as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life ( Household Food Insecurity in Canada: Overview ). We can think about food insecurity on a global or national scale but for the purposes of this toolkit, we ll be thinking about it on a household level. Household Food Insecurity is recognized as a limited or uncertain ability to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all household members because of insufficient money or other resources for food (Davis and Tarasuk). Food insecurity has been examined extensively among low-income populations in Canada, however little research has been done specifically on students. Although students don t fit into the traditional conception of a household, the definition of household food insecurity is the closest thing we have to conceptualizing what that experience is like amongst students, recognizing that this is hopefully the beginning of a larger body of work that must be done to better understand how students experience food insecurity. From , Meal Exchange conducted the largest national study on student food insecurity, called the Hungry for Knowledge Report. This research found that 39% of students experienced food insecurity across 5 Canadian post secondary campuses. This means that these students had experienced things like: Compromising the amount of food eaten Relying on low-cost/unhealthy foods Experiencing anxiety over running out of money for food Physical and mental health implications Additionally, it is important to note that it was found that only 16.8% of students who had experienced food insecurity reported accessing emergency food services such as their campus food bank. This is a small fraction of those experiencing food insecurity overall, and reflects what we see out in the community and in other populations. Campus Food Banks Most Canadian university and college campuses have a campus food bank for students to access, as well as volunteer with. If you are working within a campus food bank you may feel like you are working within a system that is challenging for you. Most campus food assistance programs have: Limited funding, resources, and time Lack of public awareness of student food insecurity Lack of administrative buy-in 3

4 While food banks are currently necessary and do provide a crucial response to immediate need on campuses and in communities, the food security movement is coming to a consensus: food banks are not the solution to food insecurity. Food insecurity is not a food issue, it s a money issue; it means not having enough money to buy food or engage in accessing the food needed. Food banks aren't sufficient, but are necessary and provide an ideal opportunity for greater advocacy. Ways to be an Advocate on Campus Engaging in Advocacy with your Campus Food Bank Campus food banks are uniquely positioned and have more power than community food banks in terms of advocacy, as student food banks are NOT registered charities. Under The Charitable Purpose, Advocacy, and Income Act, registered charities are not allowed to engage in political activities, meaning they are limited in their ability to advocate for systemic level political change. Michael Waglay, founder of the Meal Exchange Beyond Campus Food Banks Network, says, since [student food banks] are not registered charities, they are therefore relatively free to openly advocate to government and campus administrators without fear of losing their funding or being audited for their advocacy activities. This grants campus food banks the freedom to advocate. For that reason, students, volunteers, administration, and faculty have a huge role to play. By becoming allies and advocating for real, long-lasting change you can help to develop strategies that address the root financial causes of student hunger. Although this problem can seem incredibly complex, there are things that can be done at a campus level to start to address food insecurity and to engage greater and wider stakeholders at a provincial and national level. There are a numerous ways that you can be an advocate for student food security on your campus. Here are three that will be examined in this document: 1. Creating a safe space for dialogue 2. Aligning understandings and messaging 3. Looking for existing opportunities around which to advocate and engage 1. Creating a Space for Dialogue In its essence, creating a space for dialogue means starting conversations with people on your campus about student food insecurity. It may involve spreading statistics, such as the information from the Hungry for Knowledge Report, or articles that have been published recently in peer-reviewed sources. If you have access to your school s library, we recommend scanning through the peer-reviewed literature online. Although this is a highly under researched area, more and more people are beginning to conduct surveys and qualitative 4

5 research to attempt to understand how students are experiencing food insecurity. Along with statistics, you can use student stories in your dialogue. In 2015, Beyond Campus Food Banks collected stories from students who had experienced food access issues. These can be found on the Meal Exchange website and can prove to be an incredibly effective resource. Information about barriers and contributors to student food insecurity is also helpful. Some factors influencing student food insecurity on a campus could include high tuition fees, student loans and debt, food and housing costs, etc. These will vary depending which campus you are on. Event Ideas 1. Whiteboard Event - One concrete way to create space for dialogue is through a whiteboard event. Proven successful through other chapters, it engages a broad spectrum of students on campuses. It involves minimal funding or manpower, as only a booth needs to be set up and manned. This booth could be in the student centre, during a frosh week event, or any other place that is highly trafficked. Students ask questions to their peers walking by using a whiteboard, such as What can be done to alleviate student poverty? We encourage having prizes or food available and utilizing social media to spread your message. This event is low cost and simple. Whiteboard event at U of Waterloo 2. Social Media Campaign - Another great way to create a space for dialogue is through a social media campaign. This could be done through your own social media or your food bank s social media platforms. Useful actions include: Spreading a hashtag - try using the Meal Exchange hashtag #hungryforknowledge Polls and giveaways Involving influencers - or other non-profits involved in the food movement, at governmental organizations, or even at your own MP! Start conversations and engaging with others 5

6 Using hashtags on Twitter 3. Host a Speaker Event Different possible speakers could be: o Faculty members who may have conducted research on food insecurity o Community workers o Local advocates o Those with lived experience Dr. Val Tarasuk at NSFS Align Understandings and Messaging Food insecurity engages stakeholders and groups from MANY vantage points, such as: o Social justice & anti-poverty o Aboriginal rights o Education o Environment o Public health o And more! It is very important to engage all of these domains, as that is when the most effective strategies to address student food insecurity are created. Additionally, reach out to people that have a vested interest in student wellbeing, like: o Campus services, clubs, and advocacy groups o Faculty members o Student union representatives 6

7 o Health promotion/sustainability offices Steps in Reaching Out: Arrange for a phone call or meeting Ask for a follow on social media Offer to co-host events on campus Organize workshops or roundtables to bring stakeholders together o Identify factors that influence student food insecurity o Build momentum o Find champion stakeholders and develop next steps Once you have meaningfully engaged these different parties, you can begin to take concrete steps to address student food insecurity on your campus together. Some examples of next steps include: Reaching out to us at Meal Exchange to conduct a student food insecurity study on your campus Lobbying your campus administration to commit to alleviating student food insecurity Calling or writing to your local MP Participating in an Applied Student Research Project Connecting with/forming a Meal Exchange Chapter and running programs such as Share a Meal, the Real Food Challenge, Trick or Eat, and more! Your next steps depend on the issues on your individual campus! 3. Look for Existing Opportunities Finally, look for existing opportunities to engage in student food insecurity work on your campus. One great way is to find and join the Meal Exchange Chapter on your campus. Other events around which to you can build your advocacy efforts include: o Upcoming Guaranteed Annual Income pilot in Ontario o Changes to provincial student financial aid o Campus-level changes to tuition Case Studies The following are some examples of campuses that have already started addressing student food insecurity in a meaningful way. Hopefully they can provide some inspiration for your own initiatives, however every campus is unique and faces differing challenges to addressing student food insecurity. Dalhousie University The Loaded Ladle is a levied society at Dalhousie which serves 4 free lunches a week in the student union building. The Loaded Ladle has networked with Cooperation Food Empowerment Directive (Co-Fed) a US based organization which brings tools and training to campus communities to develop strong and healthy cooperative food run businesses 7

8 The Sustainability department has hosted open sessions with food and drink where students could come and freely discuss their food (in)security. There is a paid student position within the Sustainability department whose mission is to work alongside the Student Union to move Dalhousie University towards a selfoperated food services model. Lakehead University Inspired by the Hungry for Knowledge Report, students and faculty members formed a multi-stakeholder working group to investigate student food insecurity on campus. They are currently meeting to develop initiatives to address student food insecurity and have thus far created several thriving programs: o Free meals and fruit every week o Additional emergency meal plan funds o Currently developing a food resource centre Ryerson University Created Campus Hunger Report (2015) to investigate who is using their food bank, the Good Food Centre Joined the Community Food Centres Canada as a Good Food Organization, connecting with other food centres and food banks across Canada Created workshops in partnership with a local Community Food Centre to start Eat-up Meet-ups, where people can learn how to cook what is offered in the food bank Offer Soup for Cents, a way to share soup for an affordable rate as well as building awareness of the Good Food Centre Have developed strong partnerships for food donations from campus food services, conferences, etc. References Davis, Barbara and Valerie Tarasuk. Hunger in Canada. Agriculture and Human Values, vol. 11, no. 4, 1994, pp , link.springer.com/article/ /bf Accessed 26 July Household Food Insecurity in Canada: Overview. Canada.ca, 25 July 2012, en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-nutrition-surveillance/health-nutritionsurveys/canadian-community-health-survey-cchs/household-food-insecurity-canadaoverview.html. Accessed 26 July