A national study this year showed 41% of students at four-year colleges have experienced food insecurity, so Niagara University has opened a food pantry for its own students.
Although the students most likely to go hungry are parents of small children or members of low-income households, the pantry, located in a dormitory, is open to all students, Monday through Friday.
"We have folks there who are trained to have these kinds of sensitive conversations with students about where they’re at, what they’re experiencing, and how we can help," said Jason Jakubowski, dean of student affairs.
The pantry is stocked with donations of food and basic hygiene products from members of the university community.
"We firmly believe we can address this need so our students can be healthy and focus on what’s important, and that’s academic success," Jakubowski said.
