FEEDING YOUNG MINDS
The Mountaineer Marketplace As grocery prices continue to rise, so does food insecurity among Mountaineers. However, Western Colorado University has joined with the Gunnison Country Food Pantry (GCFP) to create The Mountaineer Marketplace. Since its opening in February 2023, it has already impacted the lives of 640 students. A study completed by the National College Health Association in the Fall of 2022 focused on student wellbeing at WCU. With a 13 percent response rate, 55 percent of respondents indicated that they experienced low to very low food security. Additionally, national research indicates college students are often overlooked as a population experiencing food insecurity due to the socially accepted narrative that college students are expected to struggle financially, while at the same time, most people believe college students are supported by their parents. It is estimated that over 60 percent of students experience food insecurity and question where their next meal will come from, and 40 percent of students on campus do not have access to a kitchen. As part of the Mountaineer Marketplace’s mission to provide resources to students so they have the means to survive and thrive, the Marketplace launched a new campaign, Feed the Need. Feed the Need aims to put college-friendly cookware into the hands of students who do not have kitchen access. Items include microwaveable bowls and cups, can openers, can covers, and multipurpose utensils that cook rice, noodles, and eggs perfectly in the microwave. These items will allow students to use and store the food they receive from the Mountaineer Marketplace. Did you know that a $25 donation helps supplement one week’s worth of food for a student? Or that $100 helps supplement one week’s worth of food for a nontraditional student and their family? Better yet, $500 helps the Mountaineer Marketplace purchase fresh produce and dairy products for a week to provide to Western students facing food insecurity.
To learn more about Mountaineer Marketplace or contribute to Western’s efforts to Feed the Need, visit us online:
ELEVATEWESTERN.ORG
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