Worcester State Receives $75,000 to fight food insecurity on campus
New England Council member Worcester State University has received $75,000 in funding via the American Rescue Plan Act as part of Massachusetts’ Hunger-Free Campus Initiative Grant program.
The 18-month effort will help address the growing hunger epidemic afflicting the state’s public universities, where more than a third of students struggle with food insecurity. Administrators plan to allocate the grant toward common kitchen spaces, as well as founding an affordable EBT campus market with plans to sustain both programs after the grant funding period. Professor Adam Saltzman of Worcester State’s Urban Studies Department’s Urban Action Institute will oversee the grant initiative.
“The project will explore ways the campus community can provide for students’ immediate need for affordable fresh food while also developing long-term solutions for equitable access to healthier and more affordable foods for all students,” reports Nancy Sheehan, columnist at Worcester State Magazine. “To that end, the grant will look at campus infrastructure, federal food assistance, food recovery and donations, education and awareness, and community food production and marketing.”
The New England Council commends Worcester State University’s commitment to confronting food insecurity.
Read more in the Worcester Business Journal.