Feeding Students, Fighting Hunger on Campus
As I write this, the tree-covered hills surrounding Fairmont State University will soon explode into hues of orange, crimson, and maroon. You can see it as you drive down I-79’s High Tech Corridor, where the splendor of nature abuts corporate and government complexes that house the latest in technology. Everywhere you look you’ll see beauty and affluence.
But coexisting with this beauty and affluence is a deep, and sometimes generational poverty and hunger. I’ve witnessed it on the Fairmont State campus. I saw it in the face of the young mom who almost had to drop out over a $200 shortage in funds for school, because she had to choose between that and buying food for her children. I have had students come to me, concerned about their roommates because they had not eaten a real meal because they did not have a meal plan and did not have money for food.
It was clear to me that if we were going to disrupt the cycle of poverty and hunger, the University itself needed to take a stance – something had to be done.
The first step was to change our meal plan options. Under the old plan, students could only use their meal card once per meal. Therefore, if a family member joined them, or if they wished to treat a friend to lunch, they could only pay out of pocket. Our students do not have disposable funds. So often, there was no way to help others in need. Now, students can use their meal cards as often as they like. They can treat friends or relatives to a meal at the dining hall or at any of our food court restaurants.
Fairmont State University has also partnered with the Wesley Foundation and Aladdin Food Services to create a “Falcon Meals on Wheels” of sorts. Free hot meals are provided every Monday, Thursday and Friday as well as the second and fourth Tuesday of every month.
The Nest, a food bank for Fairmont State students, is currently located on the second floor of the Falcon Center. The food items are free for students. We are in the process of moving the Nest to the Wesley Foundation to unite it with their food pantry. This move will create a larger food bank in a more convenient, easily accessible location. Moreover, this locale will offer a more discrete alternative; we do not ever wish to have students feel self-conscious about seeking food.
The hunger issue really hits close to home for me that brings forward some sad and vivid memories.
My grandmother worked two-and-a-half jobs. I went to school full-time and worked a full-time job and another part-time job. Often, that was not enough to make ends meet. I remember that when the car broke down we debated whether we should direct the money to fix the car so my grandmother could get to work or whether we would use the money to eat that week. The only way to keep two and a half jobs was to fix the car. The car always won. And yes, there were many nights I went to bed hungry.
All data suggest that a student who is hungry cannot study and will not do well in school. These students are often stuck in a true conundrum: do they stay in school or do they eat? If they eat, they may not have the funds to stay in school. Therefore, the cycle of poverty, of hunger continues. This is unacceptable.
More than eighty-one percent of Fairmont State’s student population comes from West Virginia, and more than sixty percent are first generation students. Most of our students come from low income, underserved families. Many of these students have to make daily choices between food, books, tuition, or gasoline.
That is why we are constantly looking for ways to eradicate student hunger and to keep these kids in school. Many of my “kids” at Fairmont State University are still going hungry – just like I did almost 38 years ago. It is time to take a stance and eliminate hunger in our region, in our state, and in our nation. This is our time to put a stop to this travesty.
President Dr. Mirta MartinOpinionOpEd
