FIND YOUR SUSTENANCE
BRAIN FOOD BARRIER BREAKERS On October 26, 2017, students of Twin Cities-based Hamline University left work and class to flock to a few benches in a campus parking lot where more than 2,000 pounds of nonperishable food items were stacked.
WHO: An GaragiolaBernier, Emma Kiley, Elise Hanson WHAT: Co-founders, Feed Your Brain WHY: Because someone needs to be the voice for hungry college students
30%
About one-third of college students are food insecure* * College & University Food Bank Alliance
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JANUARY-MAY 2021
“We ran out in 30 minutes,” recalled An Garagiola-Bernier. A sophomore at the liberal arts school at the time, she organized the donation event, called Feed Your Brain, with fellow students Elise Hanson and Emma Kiley. Even if the administration couldn’t see it, these three became acutely aware of food insecurity at Hamline after a sit-in over immigration laws earlier that year. “Students posted about immigration laws being changed, and some testified to experiencing so much hunger it was affecting their ability to learn,” said Garagiola-Bernier. The three friends wanted to dig deeper. They sent a survey to all undergrads to assess how food insecurity was affecting them. They included questions that addressed sourcing culturally appropriate food and healthy options for those with allergies or chronic conditions. “They were questions nobody was asking but students were really concerned about,” said Garagiola-Bernier. Of the nearly 360 students who responded, 76% admitted to having trouble accessing food, and findings revealed heavier insecurity among Muslim, Hispanic, trans and gay/lesbian students. “We wanted to make the administration, and even the general public, aware that food insecurity is a profound indicator of poverty on college campuses,” said Garagiola-Bernier. “And if someone is food insecure, they’re also likely housing insecure or experiencing trouble with
RESEARCH
utilities or health care services.” The findings contradicted Hamline’s reputation (and that of private college campuses in general) as being places of privilege where food insecurity is an unexpected issue. “College students fall into a type of policy gap where they’re considered dependents of their parents. However, we know they’re living in financially independent situations,” said Garagiola-Bernier. The first free food pop-up more than proved that, and a second one was held a month later. Feed Your Brain pop-ups continued monthly over the next two academic years (some intentionally set up in front of administration offices), and the founders continued to research food justice and work with faculty to help find a home for a food pantry. “It was relentless advocacy and action first, and then asking for forgiveness later if we broke the rules,” said Garagiola-Bernier. It was important for the pop-ups to offer students access to nonperishable, noncommodity foods and fresh produce. Not only do all three founders suffer from dietary health issues, Garagiola-Bernier, a descendent of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, has seen the effects of unhealthy foods. “Being a Native woman, food sovereignty is a big issue,” she said. “Being able to choose what goes into your body and the repercussions of that, whether good or bad, and not just have commodity foods
The College & University Food Bank Alliance, a professional organization of campus-based programs focused on alleviating food insecurity, hunger and poverty among college and university students in the United States. Visit cufba.orgc