Episode 6: Food Insecurity on Campus

According to a 2017 study, nearly half of all college students in the U.S. face food insecurity. 

That’s a huge problem. And it’s not just about food, either—many of these same students also experience housing insecurity or have other basic needs not being met as they struggle to pay skyrocketing tuition bills and expensive educational fees.

These are students Paula Umaña meets every day through her work at the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice in Philadelphia. She helps us unpack the reality of food insecurity on campus and urges college administrators to develop programs to help connect students with vital resources, including federal benefits such as SNAP.

Nan and Lisa wrap up the show with a Report Card segment, with an A+ for our friends over at The Campus Hunger Project Podcast (check them out!) and an F for a certain blogger who thinks that taking cold showers and cutting the lattes can keep you out of student debt (take our word for it and don’t check it out!).

About our guest
Paula Umaña is the Director of Institutional Transformation at the Hope Center. Previously, she worked at the Community College of Philadelphia, where she established and directed the Single Stop program, which has connected more than 13,500 students with over $28 million dollars in tax refunds, cash, and non-cash benefits.

Learn more about the Hope Center’s #RealCollege movement by visiting their website.

Produced and edited by Richelle Wilson
Theme music by Josh Wilson
Show cover art by Margaux Parker
Episode cover art from Pixabay

A special thanks to Wisconsin Humanities for their support.

Want to get in touch? Email us at collegelandpod@gmail.com or send us a voice memo on Anchor.fm.