The USDA defines food insecurity as a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food. There two levels of food insecurity: low secure (food insecurity without hunger) and very low secure (food insecurity with hunger). College students have some of the highest rates of food insecurity among any group in the US. NM household food insecurity, for example, was 21% in 2020, 26% for children, but our research revealed it was 37% among UNM undergraduates.
The majority of people in the UNM Basic Needs Project's most recent study--which included faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students--showed that all groups represented had more very low food security than low. This means skipping meals, experiencing hunger, and possibly losing weight. Students have told us how hard it is to study or stay focused in class when their stomach is aching from hunger. One student shared that she fainting from hunger in class but was glad her classmates thought she just fell asleep. In order to understand the problem and find solutions, we need to research it.
We ask you to support a research student which will allow a young person to be involved in real world problem solving. Research funds will go towards interventions that will be assessed. The intervention such as a food scholarship will provide immediate benefit to the recipient, and we will study whether or not it contributes to a student’s staying in school.
By making your gift today, you're bringing us one step closer to ending hunger as a crisis on our campus and in the state of New Mexico. Please make your gift today.