Kennesaw State University’s (GA) Campus Awareness, Resource and Empowerment (CARE) Services will work to train staff members at nine HBCUs on methods to operate and sustain campus food pantries. KSU’s CARE RoadMap – an interactive training guide for serving and supporting students who have experienced food insecurity, homelessness and/or foster care – will be used as a guide. The initiative is made possible through a partnership with the Kroger Co. Zero Hunger|Zero Waste Foundation.
Nearly 2 in 5 undergraduate students at HBCUs experience food insecurity, according to a 2023 study by the National Center for Education Statistics.
KSU’s CARE Services “provide access to food, temporary housing, and other supportive services to foster students’ realization of a healthy, stable, and dignified life academically and professionally,” according to KSU News. Approximately 2,200 students are served by CARE programs annually that include one-on-one case management, emergency temporary and long-term housing assistance, food pantries on both the Kennesaw and Marietta campuses, scholarships and temporary work programs.
“This donation is helping fund support systems to address a very basic need and ensure students at HBCUs do not face hunger alone,” said Felix Turner, corporate affairs manager for Kroger’s South Region. “It furthers our commitment to Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste mission to build a more resilient, equitable and sustainable food system that improves access to affordable, fresh food for everyone.”
Read more here.
