<div>Moesha FaceyFood Insecurity was first discovered to be an issue at Mount St. Mary’s University in 2020 after sociology professor, Dr. Layton Field, did a study to explore the gospel mandate to care for our neighbors as captured in Matthew 25. Field worked with the Thurmont Food Bank in Frederick where he explored cases of hunger by doing briefs on food insecurity and completing a study of clients at the Thurmont Food Bank. Field said, “Conversations with students about our work in Thurmont quickly revealed a need to explore hunger on campus in a more in-depth analysis.”Food insecurity was investigated on the Mount’s campus and the results showed that as of 2020, 30% of the Mounts undergraduate population is food insecure, meaning that they are without a reliable source of nutritious food. The study of food insecurity on campus also showed that some students were more likely to be food insecure than others. Of the commuter students 38% were insecure and of students of color 39% were food insecure.In fall 2020, Field formed a taskforce to tackle food insecurity on campus. Field said, “I wanted us to start thinking more creatively of what’s a long-term solution to improve the circumstance for those students struggling to eat.” The taskforce under Field and President Timothy Trainor at the time pitched many ideas they thought were most applicable and were able to move forward with two of those interventions. In fall of 2021 Mount Table and the Lazarus Fund were introduced to the University.Mount Table is a free supplemental food resource pantry on campus that provides a week’s worth supply of food to students and makes trips to Walmart for students who are unable to do so. Students upon their first visit to Mount Table will fill out an intake form after which a request form to receive food items they would like. A volunteer will use the request form to fill a bag with shelf stable groceries while the student waits. All Mount Table operations and participations are confidential. Volunteers working with Mount Table sign a disclosure agreement to keep all its operations and patrons and clients' participation confidential.The Lazarus Fund is a program that gives students 15 meal swipes per semester. Students who need the Lazarus Fund are to see Francis Lukban, the director of the Center for Service on campus that is now in charge of Mount Table and the Lazarus Fund. All funding for the Lazarus Fund comes from the Mount’s seminarians.Information about Mount Table and the Lazarus Fund are widely broadcasted throughout campus through emails and flyers, at appropriate school events like the annual Block Party and by word of mouth. Lukban credits the increasing amounts of students coming to the Mount table each year to the effective broadcasting network throughout Mounts community of trust. Lukban says, ‘‘In 2022 there were 68 visits to Mount table, last year including the summer there were over 340 visits to the Mount table. I credit that to a lot of outreach among the Mount’s campus.”On campus, the Mount table and help accessing the Lazarus Fund are in the Center of Service office in Lower McGowan room 116. Mount Table’s operating hours are from 4 - 8p.m., on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Mountaineers never hesitate to reach out for help and always lend a helping hand to a mountaineer in need.</div>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Addressing Food Insecurity on Campus

Food Insecurity was first discovered to be an issue at Mount St. Mary’s University in 2020 after sociology professor, Dr. Layton Field, did a study to explore the gospel mandate to care for our neighbors as captured in Matthew 25. Field worked with the Thurmont Food Bank in Frederick where he explored cases of hunger by doing briefs on food insecurity and completing a study of clients at the Thurmont Food Bank. Field said, “Conversations with students about our work in Thurmont quickly revealed a need to explore hunger on campus in a more in-depth analysis.”