Latest news with #Hunger-FreeCampusGrantProgram
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Supporters say Hunger-Free Campus Act would benefit Ohio students' well-being
Stock image of a food pantry courtesy Hurlburt Field. Advocates recently spoke out in favor of a bill that would help Ohio college students dealing with food insecurity. A bill that would require the Chancellor of Higher Education to create the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program had supporter testimony last week in the Ohio House Workforce and Higher Education Committee meeting. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The program would award hunger-free campus grants which could, for example, create an on-campus food pantry or a partnership with a local bank, provide students information about SNAP, have an emergency assistance grant available to students, or have a student meal plan credit donation program. Ohio House Reps. Sean Patrick Brennan, D-Parma, and Jim Hoops, R-Napoleon, introduced Ohio House Bill 157, which had 15 people submit supporter testimony. H.B. 157 would appropriate $625,000 for fiscal year 2026 and 2027 for the program. 'The Hunger Free Campus Act would incentivize colleges and universities to establish basic needs programs, like an on-site food pantry or emergency assistance grant program as well as connecting students to resources,' said Sarah Kuhns, external affairs manager of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks has worked with more than 30 Ohio colleges and universities to create food pantries or distribute food to students struggling with food insecurity, she said. 'Throughout our network's engagement on the issue of college student hunger, it has been clear that the approach has been patchwork, leading institutions to establish basic needs programs only if they have the connections, the will and the funds to do so,' Kuhns said. Students who are unable to meet their basic needs are more likely to have a hard time in class, take longer to finish their degree or drop out, Kuhns said. Some food pantries on Ohio's college campuses said they are interested in providing microwaves and stoves near the pantry, so commuter students or those with limited access to a kitchen can cook the items they receive from the pantry, she said. State Rep. Tom Young, R-Washington Twp., was surprised that food insecurity on college campuses is an issue. 'I don't have anyone coming up and saying, 'We have students starving on campus and things like that.' I just can't get my head around it,' he said. 'Why is this such a big issue that no one knows anything about?' In response, Kuhns said food insecurity is often an invisible problem. About 23% of college students experienced food insecurity in 2020 and 59% of food-insecure students potentially eligible for SNAP did not report receiving benefits, according to a report released last summer by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. State Rep. Tracy Richardson, R-Marysville, asked what population of students are experiencing food insecurity and Kuhns said this affects all demographics of students — commuter, non-traditional, and those living on campus. Deacon Nick Bates, director of the Hunger Network in Ohio, said he regularly hears from campus ministries about the growing need to help food insecure students across Ohio. 'Students cannot learn hungry,' Bates said. 'Food insecurity on college campuses leads to lower GPA's and lower completion rates.' Sophie Gephardt, a graduate social work student at Ohio State University, talked to students facing food insecurity last year when she did her undergraduate thesis on food insecurity experiences of Ohio State social worker students. 'Some common themes included poor diet quality impacting energy and health, concerns about rising food costs, and overall constant stress and mental health concerns due to food insecurity,' she said. 'The Enact the Hunger-Free Campus Act would be incredibly beneficial to getting students connected to resources that they so desperately need.' Meeting students' basic needs leads to higher retention and graduation rates, said Stephanie Dodd, executive director at Community Campus Coalition. 'These outcomes contribute directly to Ohio's workforce development priorities and long-term economic growth,' she said. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill that would help college students combat food insecurity
Stock image of a food pantry courtesy Hurlburt Field. A proposed bipartisan bill would help Ohio college students struggling with food insecurity. Ohio House Reps. Sean Patrick Brennan, D-Parma, and Jim Hoops, R-Napoleon, introduced Enact the Hunger Free Campus Act earlier this year and it had sponsor testimony Tuesday in the Ohio House Workforce and Higher Education Committee meeting. Ohio House Bill 157 would require the Chancellor of Higher Education to create the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program and award hunger-free campus grants which could, for example, create an on-campus food pantry or a partnership with a local bank, provide students information about SNAP, have an emergency assistance grant available to students, or have a student meal plan credit donation program. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'A Hunger Free Campus program addresses these challenges directly by providing accessible resources and support systems tailored to meet students' nutritional needs free from stigma,' Brennan said. 'Such initiatives ensure that no student has to choose between paying the electric bill or buying textbooks or groceries, allowing them to concentrate fully on their education.' H.B. 157 would appropriate $625,000 for fiscal year 2026 and 2027 for the program. Some universities across the state have a food pantry on campus for students, but how they operate varies, Brennan said. 'There is not consistency on where the pantries live, the size, what is offered, what department they are under, and what you have to prove in order to utilize them,' he said. 'Sometimes it's a single staff member going to the local grocer on their day off to buy things for the pantry.' Food insecurity is often an overlooked issue that affects many college students, Brennan said. 'Rising costs are making it tougher for students to find sustainable and affordable food options, especially for the growing number of non-traditional students with children,' he said. Food insecurity is an issue that goes beyond hunger, Brennan said. About 23% of college students experienced food insecurity in 2020 and 59% of food-insecure students potentially eligible for SNAP did not report receiving benefits, according to a report released last summer by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. A survey conducted last year at Ohio State University showed that nearly one out of every three Ohio State students is food insecure, according to the student newspaper The Lantern. Food insecurity means a household has limited or uncertain access to enough food to meet their needs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 'It affects students' academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being,' Brennan said. 'When students are unsure where their next meal will come from, they struggle to focus in class, perform poorly on exams, and are more likely to drop out.' Similar legislation has passed in California, Washington, Oklahoma, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Massachusetts. 'This bill will place Ohio at the forefront of tackling food insecurity in America and serve once again as a beacon by which more states will soon emulate,' Hoops said. Brennan introduced a similar bill in the previous general assembly, but it only had sponsor testimony. Members of the committee had positive things to say about H.B. 157. 'I remember working in college full-time, but still it was difficult to afford food alongside my medicine, and so this is, no doubt, hopefully passes and will support a lot of students,' said state Rep. Munira Abdullahi, D-Columbus. State Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, D-Gahanna, asked Brennan and Hoops about the importance of students being nourished in order to learn. 'If you don't have a full belly, the last thing you're thinking about is loading the three branches of government,' Brennan said. 'The same would be true for anyone, for that matter, whether you're an elementary school kid, a middle school, a high school, or in our higher ed classrooms.' State Rep. Kevin Ritter, R-Marietta, asked where the line is? 'Just because we can do it, should we do it?' he asked. Brennan responded by saying he views this bill as an investment in young people. 'When we invest in people that are hard-working and want to move ahead and climb that socioeconomic ladder, it's going to save us in the long run,' he said. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
