OH1 and OH6 Hunger Project 2023-2034
Message: Food insecurity can be defined as “Limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate resources or a lack of equitable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food in a socially acceptable manner to live an active and health life”. Research has indicated that college students are disproportionately food insecure compared to the national average. The best estimates report that food insecurity affects as many as one in two college aged students, three times the rate of the general population Food insecurity is a problem that has been overlooked or suppressed on college campuses for a long time. Overall, there are three main factors causing high food-insecurity rates among college/university students in the United States: costs, accessibility to food, and multiple demographic characteristics. OH1 and OH6 are teaming up to address food insecurities across our districts in the upcoming Lions year.
One way that you can help is to donate funds throughout the year to local colleges, trade schools, food banks and food pantries. These funds would then be used to purchase food or meals for the college aged students in need. Another way to help is to hold donation drives at your meetings or in the communities that would benefit those in need. Volunteering your time at a food pantry or food bank is always needed. There are many other ways to help reduce hunger.
Please be sure to document your service with LCI and then take a picture of whatever hunger project that your club participates in and send it to CC/IPDG Dave Stockum. He will put together a slide show of all the OH1 hunger service pictures to be shown at the District Convention in April. Those clubs who turn in a picture and record their service will receive a banner patch at District Convention.
These efforts will help others understand the food insecurities amongst college students, improve the lives of those in need, reduce food insecurities in colleges, universities, and trade schools, and establish a sustainable project for other districts throughout Ohio to follow.