UWM Students Take Initiative To Stop Food Insecurity

Bridget Russo, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, remembers starving herself for three days. “The first day I felt fine, but on the third day I was unable to get out of bed because of how hungry I was.”

Russo was one of many UWM student who stopped by the Union Ballroom to donate non-perishable food items on February 20. Between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., students stopped by the event to donate non-perishable food items. Those who were able to stick around received a free haircut.

“I’ve always wanted to give bangs a try,” said Katie Hamilton, a sophomore at UWM. “Now’s my chance to give them a try without putting a dent in my wallet.”

Once the event has ended, a total of 46 non-perishable food items were collected. UWM’s Center for Community Based Learning, Leadership, and Research Office dropped the donated items at the Hope House of Milwaukee located on Orchard St.

“I’m glad I heard about this event,” said Christina Miller, a junior at UWM. “It’s a great way to give back to the community I grew up in.”

When asked to describe a college student, you presume that all students in college are between the ages of 18-23 years old and are financially supported by their parents. According to a survey distributed by the Student Association on campus, more and more students that attend college are married, have children, have been out of school for a while, and claim themselves an independent.

This year, the Student Association at UWM hosted their first ever Cutting out Hunger event. Students, faculty, and staff members were able to stop by the Union Ballroom to receive a free haircut of their choice by the professionals at Be U Barbershop located on Oakland Ave.

“The worst thing you can say is we’ve always done it that way,” said Sabrina Waterfield, a UWM Student Association member quoting her coordinator. “We strive to do a different type of event instead of doing the exact same thing over and over again.”

The event was hosted in order to get non-perishable food item donated to the UWM’s Center for Community Based Learning, Leadership, and Research Office, who will then distribute the non-perishables to Wisconsin Food Banks.

Food insecurity is the lack of being able to access sufficient amounts of affordable and nutritious food, is common at most colleges and universities across the globe that affects educational success for thousands of students.

Throughout fall of 2016, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Student Association generated a campus survey in order to expand its knowledge of food insecurity among UWM students, faculty, and staff members. The data collected was based on a survey sent out to the entire student body, faculty, and staff at UWM, bringing in more than 2,000 total responses. Students and faculty/staff were to summarize their personal experiences of food insecurity as well as what they noticed in both their peers and students they know personally.

After reviewing the surveys, the results stipulated that food insecurity is indeed a serious issue for many UWM students, facility, and staff. They learned that roughly 50% of UWM students reported not having enough food to eat. Those affected by food insecure quoted not having enough money to purchase food on behalf of paying off bills, tuition, and housing accommodations. This statistic may be astonishing. However, for half of UWM’s student population, this is a dream that can’t wake up from.

Life can be unpredictable as it’s the little things you least expect that hit you the most. An unexpected issue such as the loss of a family member or unexpected car repair can cause an ideal amount of stress that leads to financial issues.

“Because I’m a college student, people assume that I have money,” said Victoria Carson, a junior at UWM. “If you got to know me, you’ll learn that besides attending school full time, I work three-part-time jobs to pay off bills and other necessities.”

Other information obtained from the respondents were cutting meal sizes, skipping meals due to insufficient funds, losing a tremendous amount of weight, and going an entire day without eating.

After unleashing the results on student hunger at UWM, the Student Association wanted to help relieve students, faculty, and staff from financial difficulties. Since then events have occurred around campus to attract students, faculty, and administration on the issue.

It’s clear that food insecurity and hunger have an effect on students, faculty, and staff at UWM. Food insecurity affects everyone differently. The Student Association at UWM hopes to make everyone on campus aware of the issue in order to form a solution to be created.

For information on hours, donating, or volunteering check out UWM’s Food Center and Pantry Facebook Page.