According to a food access survey of 50 Mercer students, half reported that they had gone hungry because they didn’t have money for food and 41 percent said they officially qualified for food stamps, also known as SNAP. College administrators say that there is help available for hungry students, but students say they are not aware of it and accounts of what is available, to whom, and where are inconsistent.
The problem of hunger on campus was raised by Mercer president Dr. Jianping Wang at the spring College Assembly when she told faculty and staff that she anticipated the college would set up a food bank on campus to help students whose food stamp benefits were impacted by the government shutdown.
In a later interview, Dr. Wang said, “The college has been operating informally and quietly the food bank for quite a bit of time…Even before the government shut down, there were students coming to the college on an empty stomach.”
Dr. Wang said she believed there is a small office room located at both campuses dedicated to donations of food and clothing. She says she even brought in 5 boxes of Cup-of-Noodles for a donation.
“Three stayed here [at West Windsor] and two went to JKC,” Wang said.
However, when looking for the specific locations, The VOICE could not find them. Instead, several sources said that, in fact, there aren’t any actual pantries yet. They said food help is coordinated in quieter, private interactions. If a student reaches out to a counselor for help, they will try to get them what they need.
According to Bryan O’Neal, Assistant to the Dean at the James Kerney campus, he was elected to the “food pantry board” in November. He says, “They asked if I would spearhead JKC and I said ‘sure, I think it’s a great idea.’”
O’Neal said, “Here on [James Kerney] campus we have two rooms we are looking at…We have started some work. I started press[ing] for shelving.” According to O’Neal, this food pantry is at the creation stage. He says he hopes the JKC pantry will be ready by March.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the food stamp program, beneficiaries got their February benefits early because of the government shutdown but now, even though the government has reopened, the aid processing for this month has been interrupted, so recipients have to make those February funds stretch much farther. With the prospect of another shutdown looming, SNAP recipients are in danger.
According to research, hunger has a profound impact on student success.
A bill introduced in the NJ state Assembly on October 18, 2018, that expands student access to food stamps reads, “Food insecurity carries serious consequences for student success. In one study, the majority of students experiencing food insecurity reported missing classes and study sessions, and not buying required textbooks…Hunger also impairs cognitive development into adolescence and adulthood, leading to poorer test scores and the inability to fully engage in classes.”
It is not clear how much help is actually available for students on Mercer’s campuses, but it is certain that many students need help and none are receiving any information.
Whether there is assistance or not, by not letting students know they can ask for help, the college may be increasing the sense of stigma that surrounds asking for support. According to the research, this may be quietly reducing students’ ability to complete their education.
