The necessity of food for learning has no age limit.
Students of all ages need nourishment and nutrition for their brains to perform their best and for their bodies to stay in optimal physical and mental health.
Lake Sumter State College administrators wanted to remove food insecurity as a potential barrier to student success. Recently, the college opened Lakehawk Harvest in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’s School Partnerships program.
“College is not just about academics, it’s about creating an environment where students feel supported and can be successful,” Dr. Laura Byrd, Interim President of LSSC, said at the opening ceremony. “This pantry is a tangible investment in our students' wellbeing and success. By removing barriers like hunger, we are allowing students to focus more fully on their studies and their futures.”
Second Harvest’s School Partnerships Manager Briana Rebello said it's important to consider college students in the student hunger conversation, because the same idea that young kids can’t learn on empty stomachs holds true for the 18-25+ age group, as well.
“Food insecurity is a huge factor in post-secondary student attrition, and research shows that hunger acts as a major barrier to graduation,” Briana said. “This ultimately lends itself to the cyclical nature of food insecurity and poverty, so it’s incredibly important to ensure we are supporting students not only in K-12 schools but also as they embark on their post-secondary education journey.”
According to school officials, the student pantry officially opened on Aug. 28 following a ribbon-cutting ceremony. It welcomed 73 students and distributed enough food for 558 meals on its first day.
The food pantry will be open to all enrolled students and operated by the College’s Student Affairs staff with the support of paid student employees. All enrolled students can shop for eight free items weekly, no questions asked.
Lake Sumter's student body includes people in all stages of life. From student athletes who live alone and need extra nutrients for their active lives to single parents supporting young families to older adults seeking to further their education, Lakehawk Harvest will support many groups.
Softball player Malayla Miller said opening the pantry is a great idea. She knows several student athletes who need food and other necessities.
“Sometimes it can distract from what we're actually here to do, to go to school and play softball,” she said. “So, this is really going to help everybody. We have some teammates for whom it's hard being here. We're having to move from all over, so we're having to pay rent, we're having to spend money on very important things, and it's hard to keep up with food and groceries.”
Director of Student Wellness Maureen Miller said Dr. Byrd and others at the college recognized the opportunity to open the pantry and improve students' access to nutritious foods, as well as other essentials like baby products, health and hygiene items, and cleaning products.
“We know that food insecurity is such an important issue when talking about student success, their health and wellbeing, and how they're doing in school,” Maureen said. “I think it's going to have a tremendous positive impact on our students, the fact that they can come in here and hopefully have a positive shopping experience and get the items that they need that will help support them where they are right now.”
