Textbooks or Food: Serving College Students in Poverty

Clare Cady, MA – Human Services Resource Center CoordinatorChris Van Drimmelen – Administrative and Logistics Advocate

Student Survival Skills Activity

Imagine (or perhaps you don’t have to imagine) that you are on your campus, and are lacking sufficient resources – ie. money, food, shelter. Read over the following questions and see how many of them you can answer.

History: Student Initiatives

• Early 2004 – “Escape Hunger” established by ASOSU• Weekly free lunch program• No questions asked• Open to all• Based on premise: “Students shouldn’t have to

choose between textbooks and food.”

History: Student Initiatives

• Late 2006 – “Escape Hunger” Discontinued• Unsustainable, large turnouts of up to 350• Fewer and fewer OSU students• Re-Evaluation of Program Goals and Mission• Early 2007 – “MealBux” Established by ASOSU• Student food subsidy• Maximum award of $250• Anonymous application• First-come-first-served

Understanding Poverty…

• The state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions (Merriam-Webster, 2012)• For a single person under the age of 65, an income below

$11,344 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010)• 15% of the population of the United States in 2010 (U.S. Census Bureau,

2010)• A point-in-time count in January 2011 showed that 636,017 people were

identified as being homeless (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2012)

• In 2010, 5.4% of households were considered food insecure (USDA, 2012)

2 Types of Poverty (Beegle, 2003)

• Generational• Grew up in poverty – passed on from generation to generation• Poverty culture• Understands system, outside of the maintstream• Situational• Experienced a “life shock” that puts them in poverty• Mainstream culture• MAY understand the system, but unlikely• Though there are many college students who come from

generational poverty, most are from situational

Poverty and College Students

• No studies currently have been done to determine the number of college students in poverty• College students are often taken out of poverty statistics for

cities/regions because they are believed to skew data• The stereotype of the “poor college student” (from USA Today

Article comments 2/26/2012)• Free food leaves U mo money fer pot and beer... [SIC]• Why are you sending your kids to school if they can't eat?• I find it hard to believe that our college students are in such a financial need to be asking for

hand outs.• if these kids wanted to really get an education and not stand in food lines because they are

entitled minded, then they'd bust their asses to get that education [SIC]

What we know at OSU

• Nearly 19,000 students at OSU receive some form of aid in order to attend school• The Human Services Resource Center saw 3,300 students in AY

2010-2011• The OSU Emergency Food Pantry served 1,294 people from

702 households• In the first week of the 2011-2012 school year, HSRC identified

12 enrolled students who were experiencing homelessness• If you average the monthly incomes of all students who have

applied for the Mealbux program, it comes out to $18/month

History: Student Initiatives

• Early 2007 – “Human Services Resource Center” conceived by ASOSU• “One-Stop Shop”• Mid 2008 – Incidental Fee Funding for GTA Project

Manager• Early 2009 – Incidental Fee Funding for 1 year pilot• Test run from mid 2009 – early 2010• Emergency Housing added as a service through agreement

with UHDS in mid 2009

History: A New Center

• Early 2010• OSU Food Pantry Subsumed• New MealBux Formula Implemented• Need Based• Time window for applications instead of first-come-first-

served• Ongoing Incidental Fee Funding Secured• Early 2011 – Professional Faculty HSRC

Coordinator Hired

The Human Services Resource Center

Our Mission

We provide direct service, outreach, education, and referral services to OSU students that help alleviate the effects of hunger, poverty, and other human needs so that students can pursue a quality education. We also create a dynamic learning environment in which students, faculty, and the community can learn how to meet the current pressing societal challenges facing college students.

Direct Services

• Mealbux Subsidy• Need-based food subsidy that if offered every term• Money goes on student ID card to purchase food on campus• Small amount of money• 1,987 received it in 2010-2011 for a total of $115-697.09 awarded• Need is determined using an equation that takes into account income,

tuition, and other expenses• Student Health Insurance Subsidy• Need-based subsidy for students utilizing the campus health insurance• Money is reimbursed after the student pays for the insurance• 156 received it in 2010-2011 for a total of $15,576.04 awarded

Direct Services Cont’d

• Emergency Rental Assistance• Once a year payment of rent for up to $1000 to students demonstrating

an emergency (family death, car accident, health issue etc.)• 41 received it in 2010-2011 for a total of $21,950.36 awarded• Currently suspended – may be altered and reopened based on needs

assessment• Emergency Housing and Referrals• MOU with University Housing and Dining services for emergency

placement• For cases involving student homelessness without safety concerns• Housed 7 students in 2010-2011 for up to 2 weeks each

Direct Services Cont’d

• Graduate Conference Reimbursement• For graduate students who must attend/present at conferences in order

to complete their degrees• Up to $150 reimbursed for registration fees only• First come, first served, up to 10 students per term• 24 received it in 2010-2011 for a total of $2,682 awarded• Food Pantry• MOU with OSU Foundation to gain 501c3 nonprofit status• Funded by private donation and fund raising efforts• Open twice a month, open to the public (95% students)• 1,294 people from 702 households utilized the pantry in 2010-2011• Emergency, nonperishable food available in HSRC services office

Education and Outreach

• Put on a Poverty 101 conference – Donna Beegle, Keynote• “Dinner on a Dime Programs”• Class Raps• Power of 3 Campaign• Participated in Poverty Awareness Week• Faces of Homelessness Panels• …and Poverty Initiative• Poverty Trainings• Passive advertising and outreach

Partnerships

• Associated Students of Oregon State University• Healthy Campus Initiative (Dean of Student Life)• Department of Human Services• University Housing and Dining• Student Health Services• Student Leadership and Involvement• OSU Foundation• Local nonprofits

A little bit about funding

• HSRC is currently 100% student-fee funded• 2010-2011 annual budget was $327,149• 56% of the annual budget is pre-allocated for direct services• 15% of the annual budget goes toward student salaries• OSU Emergency Food Pantry has a separate budget• 2010-2011 annual budget was 2,946.30• Annual fundraising, private donations, grants• Student staff salaries were included in HSRC budget• We are currently seeking funding through private donations

and grants

• Starting programs like HSRC/OSUEFP• Grassroots or Centralized

startup• Funding• Student Fees or Administrative

Considerations

• Start Small• Ground your

plans/programs in research• Include students as

much as possible

Tips from the “experts”

“I just wanted to tell you and all that made the Mealbux program possible thank you very much, I really appreciate it. The meals will really help my families budget.” – email from a student, Winter Term, 2012

“Thank-you so much for helping me to make my academic experience more accessible this term.”– email from student, Fall Term 2011

“Words cannot express my gratitude, because of the assistance of the HSRC my heart is now filled with a sense of inner peace…one thing is for certain and that is my appreciation to you guys for making it all happen.” – email from a student, Summer Term, 2011

Questions