Over five million students face food insecurity while at college. However, some people may think that food insecurity is not a problem at Syracuse University, which is simply incorrect. 

According to SU, about 80% of students receive some type of financial aid. Many students live off-campus and cannot afford sufficient food to satisfy all nutritional requirements, and we should also be cognizant of the community members from surrounding areas that also face food insecurity. SU administration should be doing much more to help community members help those facing food insecurity, as it is our collective responsibility to look out for one another and the local community.

According to Lynn Hy, Chief Development Officer of the Food Bank of Central New York, there are numerous ways students can aid food insecure individuals. Many students aren’t aware that SU has two food pantries, one in Hendricks Chapel and one on South Campus, which provide food, cleaning supplies and other essentials to any SU or SUNY-ESF student. Hy also said that volunteerism is imperative to helping food-insecure individuals. 

“Hunger exists everywhere and that includes on Syracuse University’s campus,” Hy said.

Volunteerism encompasses a multitude of involvement opportunities. One way to contribute is by donating items which significantly benefit food pantries no matter if the donations are canned foods, toiletries or other items. Fundraising is another mode of volunteerism because, without fundraising, community organizations will not have the financial means to serve the community. Another mode of volunteerism is facilitation, and there are several ways in which it aids food pantries. Examples of facilitation include coordinating food drives with Registered Student Organizations and arranging a time to ask for donations around the community. 

As a community, we should recognize that there are people in our community who face food insecurity and we must provide adequate resources. Simply giving time to support local food operations — whether through volunteering to stock shelves, transporting people to food drives or assisting local organizations such as the Food Bank of Central New York and the Kids Cafe — is a tremendous relief to the community.

Additionally, SU needs to make it easier for SU community members not facing food insecurity to aid those who are. For example, many students do not regularly go to Hendricks Chapel or South Campus, so it would be helpful to have multiple donation drop-off boxes across campus, such as in resident halls, outside of apartment buildings and near the Schine Student Center. 

Providing multiple donation locations could reduce students’ waste while also aiding people in need. Once multiple donation drop-off spots are established, SU can upload a map of all the contribution points to their website with a page explaining the significance and impact of the donation boxes, providing transparency by SU on how community members can make contributions, establish a straightforward donation system and create more opportunities for donations because of the simplicity of the map.

If we all practice volunteerism, it would go a long way, as it takes a village to ensure that everyone has access to nutritional nourishment. Whether you donate time or food, your contributions will not go unnoticed. We need to hold SU responsible and make sure no student ever has to decide between paying for books or lunch.

Andrew Lieberman is a junior citizenship and civic engagement and political science dual major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at aslieber@syr.edu.

Published on September 12, 2021 at 8:54 pm