College Launches Campus Food Recovery Program in Response to SNAP Cuts
A new pilot program provides fresh, free, prepared meals 24/7 to any student, staff, or faculty member facing food insecurity and expands food waste initiatives on campus.
As the effects of the federal government shutdown and its impact on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding brought to light the hardship being felt throughout many communities, the ripple effect of changing policies and subsidies out of D.C. prompted a compassionate and immediate response from the Washington College community.
Many have banded together to launch a pilot food recovery project that is already underway, providing fresh, prepared meals to anyone on campus facing food insecurity. AVI Dining Hall staffbegan packaging fresh, leftover lunch meals on Monday, November 10, and will continue to do so every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. These meals are placed in the refrigerator at George’s Free General Store—a campus pantry located in Hodson Hall—and are available 24/7 for any student, staff, or faculty member, no questions asked. The program was initiated after President Matthews asked what the College could do to help those in the community struggling with food needs. The effort also serves as a solution for several groups on campus who have been searching for ways to reduce food waste on a more daily basis.
“According to Kent County Department of Social Services, the county has lost about $350,000 in one month of SNAP benefits because of the federal shutdown and unwillingness of the federal government to use emergency funds or enable states to fill in gaps,” said Valerie Imbruce, director of the Washington College Center for Environment and Society (CES). Imbruce has recently been quoted by Newsweek and across the nation by APG Media regarding the effects of SNAP benefit reductions.
Imbruce acknowledged state efforts to mitigate the damage. "Governor Wes Moore, for example, signed an executive order to release $62 million in funds that would cover half of Maryland residents' SNAP benefits. So many in our community have mobilized to help increase freely available food to those who are suffering from this loss. There are many people in our area who deeply care and are working hard to help. I am heartened to see my own colleagues here at Washington College do the same," she said.
The recovery project is a collaborative effort coordinated by Laura Chamberlin, associate director for civic engagement at CES, who works with the regional Upper Shore Food and Farm Council, and supported by the campus’s Hunger and Homelessness Committee and Nicolle Moaney, director of student intercultural affairs.
“I’m excited that we’re able to bring this initiative to our campus community, to help supplement the types of support we offer,” said Moaney. “By providing fresh meals, we help ensure that members of our community have access to nutritious foods, on their time.”
Though they manage portion sizes while prepping for meals, AVI Dining Hall still sees a manageable surplus of meals per lunch service. Multiplied across the three recovery days, this offers a meaningful contribution.
“We recognize that there are some within our own College are not immune to the loss of SNAP, including students, and that they could benefit from the option of grabbing a packaged meal at George’s Free Store,” Imbruce stated.
The organizers are committed to the program's sustainability, hoping it can continue indefinitely. Meals will be discarded after 48 hours to ensure freshness and safety, with fresh meals replacing them on the designated recovery days and the discarded meals being composted in the Campus Garden.
- Dominique Ellis Falcon