17 Jul

Posted at 11:37h in Resources, Wisconsin HOPE Lab by
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The Wisconsin HOPE Lab put out a new report on student hunger and homelessness. Among the highlights are:

– The study was conducted at 70 community colleges in 24 states

 

– One in three community college students are hungry

– 14% of them are homeless

Check out the full report in the link below.

http://www.wihopelab.com/publications/Hungry-and-Homeless-in-College-Report.pdf 

 

Originally published by Clare Cady March 23, 2017

17 Jul

Posted at 11:29h in CUFBA, Resources by
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In a joint effort with the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, Student Government Resource Center, and Student Public Interest Research Groups, CUFBA is proud to release its newest report, Hunger On Campus. This report examines the challenges college students face regarding hunger and food insecurity, ways they are coping, and recommendations to address these issues.

Download (PDF)

 

Originally published by Brandon Matthews October 5, 2016

17 Jul

Posted at 11:18h in Pantries, Resources by
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We are working to adjust our offerings to include information about capacity-building, sustainability, and growth for our members who are already in operation. We know that while starting a campus pantry is hard, it is even harder to set that pantry up for ongoing success. Our goal is to put out new toolkits each month with best practices, ideas from members, and game plans for successful operations.

These will be included in the CUFBA newsletter, as well as posted on the Resources page. Here is a sample of what we are working on: the Food and Fund Raising Toolkit.

Yes, we know that’s technically a mis-spelling, but come on, we are trying to be fun and catchy ;)

Originally published by Clare Cady May 18, 2016

17 Jul

Posted at 11:15h in Resources by
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Check out the Resources Tab for a link to a resource guide for homeless and low income students from the website Money Geek.  There are some great tools and links in the guide that might be of use to your students.  The resource guide is authored by Sara Goldrick-Rab (Professor of Educational Policy Studies and Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Founding Director at the Wisconsin HOPE Lab) and Cyekeia Lee (Director of Higher Education Initiatives with the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY)) and is full of helpful info – so please check it out!

Here’s the link (also available on the Resources Tab): Navigating College: The Resource Guide for Homeless and Low Income Students

Originally published by Nate-Smith Tyge May 4, 2016

11 Jul

Posted at 16:15h in Resources by
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TALKING TO THE PRESS

The issue of food insecurity among college students gets a great deal of media attention. Here at CUFBA we get inquiries weekly for print, radio, and TV (not as much TV, but we have gotten some of those). Here are some tips for you as you negotiate press coverage:

– Your school likely has a press policy. You should know it. Meet the folks who manage press on your campus and find out what they expect of you.

– Check backgrounds. Not all media is created equal, and there are press folks out there who do not believe we should be doing what we are doing. When someone contacts you, google them before you respond. Make sure it is a publication or media outlet that you want to be in. This can be hard if they get you on the phone. Here’s what you can say: “thank you for being in touch. It is the press policy at [school name] that we need to check in before we give quotes. Can I call you back?”

– Have stock photos available to share. Make sure the people who are in them have signed a release that you can give them out.

– We do not recommend allowing the press to come to your distributions. It can create an uncomfortable environment for the students you serve. If you do choose to do this please be sure that every student knows they have the right to refuse to be a part of the coverage, or that they can be a part but anonymous.

– When you do get press coverage CELEBRATE. Share it widely, and send it to us. We will post it on the CUFBA website. It’s great that you get recognized for what you do. Email us at cufbanational@gmail.com

 

Originally published by Clare Cady October 2, 2015

11 Jul

Posted at 15:09h in Pantries, Resources by
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If you run year-round there are some unique opportunities that come in the summer – particularly if you are in a part of the country where winters are not a growing season. This time of year we see fresh produce more readily available, and in many of our communities we see Farmers’ Markets. Here are a few tips on getting some fresh goods to the students you serve.

 

  • Request a CSA: This stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and means that people pay farmers in advance for a food box (usually weekly) throughout the growing season that offers a variety of seasonal fruits and veggies (and sometimes meats and eggs). It is not uncommon that farmers will donate a weekly box to a local organization. While it may be too late this year (farmers often plan this in the mid to late winter) it is never too late to ask.
  • Farmers’ Markets: It is common that farmers do not want to take their produce home with them at the end of the day. Check in to see if they would be willing to give you what they don’t sell.
  • Community Gardens: People often end up with a glut of something that grows really well that year. If you have a community garden near you it may be a great idea to hang a flier there with information on how to donate.
  • Gleaning: There are a great number of gleaning programs where individuals pick fruits and veggies for local organizations. Often the deal is they get to keep half and donate the other half. Check to see if there are any of these programs in your area and ask to be on the donation list.
  • Classes: Are there courses on your campus that focus on things like organic farming, seed research, or other topics in which the class is going to grow edibles? Contact the professor. Often times what is grown is either donated or left to rot. Makes sense that it gets donated to you!

 

Originally published by Clare Cady June 15, 2015

07 Jul

Posted at 17:11h in Resources by
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Most campus food banks or pantries would not be successful if it were not for the support of a strong volunteer base. Even if there are paid staff, volunteers are usually the heart of any hunger relief organization. Since we are here for our students who are experiencing food insecurity, we need to develop our volunteer force so we can create the most positive and comfortable experience possible.

  • If you are not doing a training for your volunteers you are doing both them and the students you serve a disservice. They are the customers and you are the customer service agents. If you have ever gotten bad service I imagine that this metaphor drives that point home.
  • Be sure to include in your training:
    • A big THANK YOU
    • Food safety – any policies and/or procedures you have, and any you have to follow.
    • Emotional safety – this includes confidentiality and how to create comfort for the student while they utilize your food bank or pantry.
    • Any other safety concerns you may have.
    • Full orientation to your space, policies, and procedures.
  • Other training topics that could be useful:
    • What to do in case of an emergency
    • What to do if there are grievances
    • How to repack foods
  • There are a number of ways to give your training. Here are a few we know work:
    • One on one meetings with staff and volunteers.
    • Group sessions
    • Powerpoint self-guided training with a staff check-in
    • Manuals
    • Other ideas that we have not seen: websites, YouTube Videos
  • Here is a link to the pantry training Powerpoint from Oregon State. This is done in combination with a food safety video, a short quiz, and a full tour and orientation to the pantry space: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6x4gTIjTE0ATnh2TlFkSUt2Yms/view?usp=sharing

Originally published by Clare Cady May 19, 2015