As we were preparing for our Winter semester classes, professors did not anticipate that food insecurity would be even worse in January 2019 than it was when we ended Fall semester in December 2018.  Regardless of our opinions on what are the most effective ways to promote border security in the United States or who is or is not at fault for the government shutdown, we cannot escape the reality that many of our students’ families will not get a paycheck tomorrow because there is a federal employee n the household.

A couple days before the government shut down in December, I talked to a friend of mine who is a single man with many years of government service.  He makes a descent salary and lives below his means.  He will be able to survive on savings for the foreseeable future.  My friend is more fortunate than most and is hardly typical of most government—or non-government—employees. 

More typical are the government workers—some furloughed and others still working without being paid—who live paycheck to paycheck.  A former student of mine is a young man who has been a government employee for just a couple of years.  He and his new wife do not live an extravagant lifestyle.  In their mid 20s, they don’t command a salary that allows for any extravagance or even much savings.  They are not unlike me when I was a young professional in my 20s.

But what does this have to do with our students?

A December 2018 report from the United States Government Accountability Office found that 17% of households with a student attending a community college experience food insecurity.  For households with a university student, the number is 11%; for vocational/technical students it is 14%.  At my college, the maximum class size is 31.  Statistically, this means that there are five students from households that experience food insecurity in each of my classes.  And this was before the government shutdown.

When federal employees do not receive their paychecks, the number of food insecure families is going to increase.  Garage sales and picking up odd jobs—as one federal agency suggested as a stop gap measure—are not realistic alternatives to a regular paycheck. 

We already know that some of our adjunct faculty and part time employees have food insecurity, but the government shutdown will increase the problem when members of their households are not paid tomorrow.  Even full-time colleagues who are in relationships with federal employees might join the ranks of the food insecure.

For those of us who are able to do so, it is more important than ever to make food available in our offices.  I keep fresh fruit and chips for students to take.  My husband packs extra food in my lunch box to share with students and I keep frozen food in my office refrigerator so there is always something for students to eat.  Not all students with whom I share food are food insecure, but some of them are.  Because food is freely shared, there is no stigma associated with getting food from me. 

Another way that I can provide food for those who experience food insecurity is to help supply our campus food pantry.  For those who are not sure what a food pantry needs, our college has supplied the following list.  Because we are not able to accept fresh foods, frozen foods, and food that requires refrigeration, this is not a definitive list of what your local food pantry can take.  But it is a good starting point for those of us who want to go shopping.

Favorite cereal, peanut butter, macaroni & cheese, canned corn, canned fruit, boxed potatoes, boxed spaghetti, instant oat meal, jelly, canned tomatoes, jar pasta sauce, ramen noodles, canned tuna, vanilla wafers, chicken noodle soup, Rice-a-Roni, hamburger helper, saltine crackers, jar applesauce, canned soup, rice, canned peas, canned mixed vegetables, pork & beans, baked beans, granola bars, canned pasta, canned stew, Triscuits, desert mix

While the government shutdown continues, those of us who can do so must step up to feed the hungry.  We also need to remember that once the shutdown ends, the problem of food insecurity for our students will not end.  Getting in the habit of giving is not only the right thing to do, it will also help our students be better scholars. 

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

Image Credit: OpenClipart-Vectors at Pixabay.

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