NC Hosts 2nd Annual Food Insecurity Summit
On Saturday, September 27th, Newberry College hosted the 2nd Annual Food Insecurity Summit, where 110 participants from different schools, food banks, nonprofits, and other agencies across the Carolinas united to tackle the issues faced by countless students while reducing the stigma surrounding food insecurity. The summit’s focus was on teambuilding, educating, coming up with solutions, and promoting awareness of food insecurity. According to the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) findings back in June of 2024, approximately 4 million people were faced with food insecurity as of 2020, and various barriers and challenges prevented students from accessing the assistance they needed. Conferences like these, where communities come together to discuss practical solutions and raise awareness of the obstacles students face, are critical to help remove the obstacles that prevent students from getting the help they need.
Following the welcome ceremony, the summit’s keynote, Paige Swanstein from the Student Basic Needs Coalition, proposed one very important question. Given everyone in attendance, “Who is currently not in the room?” In Mrs. Swanstein’s speech, she highlights how change can truly start to occur once those who are absent from the conversation become aware of the food insecurity situation faced by their communities. She also points out that it is our call to action to bring those stories to everyone’s attention, inform others how it affects themselves as well as those around them, and show someone what they can do to take the initiative.
Other notable guests include the panelists during the Student and Community Best Practices Panel moderated by Pat Gagliano, the Chair of the Department of Art & Theatre, Professor of Speech & Theatre, and Coordinator of the First-Year Experience academic & career preparation course at Newberry College, and Omme-Salma Rahemtullah, the Executive Director of FoodShare SC. The speakers, Jessie McNevin and Sharon Shanchez-Franco from the University of South Carolina, Sofia Norris from Western Carolina University, Megan Prosser from Appalachian State University, Adrian Gonzales from FoodShare SC, and James Lewis from Trident Technical College, shed more light on the true scale of food insecurity while speaking on their own struggles with food insecurity, sharing how they initiated change in their schools, and discussing the unique challenges faced by international students relating to transportation, cultural differences, and other barriers.
One of the summit’s most important takeaways is a call to action to be the change you want to see in the community and increase your awareness of the issue of food insecurity itself, as well as helpful resources like SNAP or any assistance offered by your campus.
To support the Newberry Wolves Pantry, you can make a monetary donation here or check out the Amazon wishlist link here to donate food. You can also volunteer via the HelperHelper App to assist Pastor David Coffman at the Wolves Pantry.
On Saturday, September 27th, Newberry College hosted the 2nd Annual Food Insecurity Summit, where 110 participants from different schools, food banks, nonprofits, and other agencies across the Carolinas united to tackle the issues faced by countless students while reducing the stigma surrounding food insecurity. The summit’s focus was on teambuilding, educating, coming up with solutions, and promoting awareness of food insecurity. According to the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) findings back in June of 2024, approximately 4 million people were faced with food insecurity as of 2020, and various barriers and challenges prevented students from accessing the assistance they needed. Conferences like these, where communities come together to discuss practical solutions and raise awareness of the obstacles students face, are critical to help remove the obstacles that prevent students from getting the help they need.
Following the welcome ceremony, the summit’s keynote, Paige Swanstein from the Student Basic Needs Coalition, proposed one very important question. Given everyone in attendance, “Who is currently not in the room?” In Mrs. Swanstein’s speech, she highlights how change can truly start to occur once those who are absent from the conversation become aware of the food insecurity situation faced by their communities. She also points out that it is our call to action to bring those stories to everyone’s attention, inform others how it affects themselves as well as those around them, and show someone what they can do to take the initiative.
Other notable guests include the panelists during the Student and Community Best Practices Panel moderated by Pat Gagliano, the Chair of the Department of Art & Theatre, Professor of Speech & Theatre, and Coordinator of the First-Year Experience academic & career preparation course at Newberry College, and Omme-Salma Rahemtullah, the Executive Director of FoodShare SC. The speakers, Jessie McNevin and Sharon Shanchez-Franco from the University of South Carolina, Sofia Norris from Western Carolina University, Megan Prosser from Appalachian State University, Adrian Gonzales from FoodShare SC, and James Lewis from Trident Technical College, shed more light on the true scale of food insecurity while speaking on their own struggles with food insecurity, sharing how they initiated change in their schools, and discussing the unique challenges faced by international students relating to transportation, cultural differences, and other barriers.
One of the summit’s most important takeaways is a call to action to be the change you want to see in the community and increase your awareness of the issue of food insecurity itself, as well as helpful resources like SNAP or any assistance offered by your campus.
To support the Newberry Wolves Pantry, you can make a monetary donation here or check out the Amazon wishlist link here to donate food. You can also volunteer via the HelperHelper App to assist Pastor David Coffman at the Wolves Pantry.
