Philly Leader

First Lady Frances Wolf and members of the Pennsylvania legislature gathered this week with about 100 college students and other advocates to address food insecurity at the state’s colleges, as Wolf said there are unsettling reports of students dealing with hunger.

According to a March 28 release, Wolf was joined by Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes, Senator Carolyn Comitta, House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton and Rep. Jennifer O’Mara at the state capitol. Swipe Out Hunger, a national non-profit, also brought about 100 student and school administrators to the capitol to meet with said legislators. This organization works with governmental and campus leaders to make sure students don’t go hungry. The movement is nationwide and includes 400 colleges across all 50 states, serving 2.5 million nutritious meal since its inception. The group works with officials on legislation and policies to address hunger among students.

“It speaks volumes to have the First Lady support our coalition of more than 100 college students across Pennsylvania and other community partners to address student food insecurity through the Hunger Free Campus Bill,” said Rachel Sumekh, founder and CEO of Swipe Out Hunger. “We’re thrilled to galvanize and organize together to ensure no student has to choose between food and their education.” 

Students came from Bloomsburg University, Carnegie Mellon University, Community College of Allegheny County, California University of Pennsylvania, DeSales University, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Millersville University, Point Park University, Prism Career Institute, Robert Morris University, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pennsylvania, West Chester University, Widener University, and Wilson College. 

In Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2022-23 budget proposal he allocated $1 million for a grant program to help Pennsylvania higher education institutions address hunger. This could help create or expand food pantries, increase outreach about support that is available, access to social workers and improve data gathering. It is modeled after Hunger-Free Campus bills proposed recently by Sen. Comitta and Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.

“College should not be a privilege reserved for individuals with disposable incomes, and hunger should never be what holds someone back from succeeding in higher education,” said First Lady Wolf. “And yet, national studies estimate that over 30 percent of college students are food insecure. We must do all we can to support our students as they pursue futures that can benefit all of Pennsylvania.” 

The release stated the it is estimated 36% of students know someone who dropped out of college during the pandemic due to hunger, and about 52% who faced food and housing insecurity in 2020 didn’t apply for assistance because they did not know how. The Government Accountability Office release a report in 2018 saying that half of undergraduate students in 2016 were financially dependent. It also noted that students coming out of high school are often reliant on free or reduced priced meals, but these programs don’t exist for college students. This becomes a major challenge for many students.

“No student should have to go hungry to pursue the dream of higher education and career success,” Sen. Comitta said. “Studies and firsthand stories tell us that food and basic needs insecurity is a growing program on college campuses. Common sense tells us it’s a solvable one. And we’re working to take steps to solve it in Pennsylvania.”

Rep. O’Mara added that the cost of higher education in the state continues to rise, but financial aid does not keep up accordingly. This forces students to neglect other areas of their lives.

“Students cannot thrive and reach their full potential if their basic needs are not being met,” O’Mara said. “We need to pass the Hunger-Free Campus Act that I introduced in the House alongside State Rep. Malcom Kenyatta and provide for students throughout the commonwealth.”