February 8, 2019 at 3:48 p.m.
Snack pantries set up at Nicolet College as student concern grows over food assistance programs
Snack pantries set up at Nicolet College as student concern grows over food assistance programs
"Many of our students are parents who struggle financially to put food on the table," Nicolet College Student Engagement and Career Development coach Sara Tienhaara said in a press release. "Many also rely on government assistance programs in order to feed their families, and even though the government has reopened for a few weeks, they're still pretty nervous about what the future holds."
To help with the situation, Tienhaara has recently led an effort to place Snack Pantries in six buildings on campus. Filled with mixed nuts, dried fruits, beef jerky, ready-to-eat tuna and the like, the high-protein snacks are designed to provide sustenance to students while they are on campus.
"Being hungry and learning college-level material doesn't mix well," Tienhaara said. "Even with federal food assistance, many of our students - especially those who are parents - still go hungry. I see them put the needs of their kids first and then just deal with whatever the situation is then in front of them."
Tienhaara said she first noticed a change at a recent annual student picnic which starts each semester. It was held, by coincidence, during the partial government shutdown. The fare was a free taco bar.
"In the past, students would come up to me and joke around that we should do this every week. But this last time the tone was different," Tienhaara said. "It's like they weren't joking. There was this increased sense of urgency in their voices."
She noted that the comments came from students who tended to be more naturally outgoing and leaned toward feeling a connection to the college community.
"What about that segment of the student population that isn't like that?" she asked. "They are out there, in our labs and classrooms, and it's a good bet that they have an equal need and we're just not hearing about it."
Along with healthy snacks to get them through the day, each Snack Pantry also has resource information about the many community organizations that exist to assist those in need.
Tienhaara stressed that this new service at Nicolet, paid for with student activity fees, is not intended to function as a food pantry.
"Food Pantries serve an entirely different and valuable role in our Northwoods communities," she said. "The Snack Pantries are intended to help students get through their day on campus without being hungry. You can't learn when you're hungry."
What does she hope the future holds for the Snack Pantries on campus?
"My goal is for all of them to go away," Tienhaara said. "That means we wouldn't have any hungry students on campus. But from everything I'm seeing, we're a long way from that being reality."
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