Fergus Falls recognized as Hunger Free Campus - M State News

M State’s Fergus Falls campus will celebrate its recognition as a Hunger Free Campus by the Lead MN student advocacy group during an award ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29.

The campus recently announced that construction will begin in the coming months on a new food pantry to better help students facing food insecurity, funded primarily by a $150,000 donation from Fergus Area College Foundation and a $25,000 contribution from the college.

The Friday event will include a tour of the future site of the campus food pantry (near the main desk in Legacy Hall) and a presentation on the vision for the upcoming construction project, which is expected to be completed by the start of classes during the 2022 fall semester. Once completed, the food pantry will be open 24/7 and be available to all M State students.

At 2 p.m., M State President Carrie Brimhall will talk about M State’s efforts to address food insecurity and build awareness of the campus resources that can help students combat hunger.

“We’re committed to sustaining and supporting the food pantry to ensure it addresses the needs of our students,” Brimhall said. “When students are hungry, we know it’s hard for them to focus on anything else, including their education. Our goal is to develop and implement proactive collegewide approaches to meet students’ basic needs and remove the barriers that get in the way of reaching their goals.”

Lead MN says a Hunger Free Campus is a community and/or technical college that is taking strides to reduce food insecurity among students. A Hunger Free Campus must have a campus food distribution system available for students; have a designated staff person to educate students about public services that aim to reduce food insecurity; provide emergency funds to help students experiencing basic needs insecurity; have a task force to address food insecurity concerns; and participate in at least one hunger awareness event each year.

According to LeadMN, recent data shows 37 percent of college students have experienced food insecurity, meaning they don’t have a steady source of food or can’t afford to feed themselves or their families.

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Fergus Falls recognized as Hunger Free Campus - M State News
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