College Food Insecurity

Exploring and Improving Food Insecurity Among TWU College Students

By: Alexandra Mack

Senior Undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetics Major at Texas Woman's University

Intoduction

Over 45% of students nationwide attending four-year institutions are food insecure.1 Many of these students work, receive financial aid, have meal plans, and do not receive SNAP benefits. At Texas Woman’s University (TWU) about 45% of the student population has very low or low food security. The Campus Alliance and Resource Education (CARE) has become the main resource focused on combating the college food insecurity issue on the Denton campus. CARE offers an on-campus food pantry, called Minerva’s Market, and a drive-thru food pickup, named Groceries to Go in partnership with the Tarrant Area Food Bank. This research wanted to work with students that used the pantry to learn more about the affects of social stigma and how Minerva's Market could better serve their needs.

Research Breakdown

Part 1: Minerva's Market Survey

The survey aimed to gain a better understanding of the on-campus food pantry patrons and what they wanted to see done differently by the pantry.

Part 2: Interviews with Food Insecure Students at TWU

The interviews were conducted to better understand the college food insecurity experience, what the needs are of this population, and determine how stigma affects their ability to reach out for help.

Part 3: Recipe and Media Development

Cookbooks and cooking videos were after analyzing results from the survey and interviews. They were created as a way to increase food literacy and help food insecure students gain more confidence in their cooking skills. This was done to help empower students, lower stigma, and givie them more of a feeling of control over their situation.

Video Introduction

PXL_20240324_220142741.mp4

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