(P20-011-24) The Hunger Free Higher Ed Approach to Decreasing College Student Food Insecurity

Objectives: Develop a systematic approach to determine the best evidence-based interventions to decrease college student food insecurity.

Methods: The Hunger Free Higher Ed (HFHE) approach is an adaptation from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), a comprehensive process used by substance abuse and misuse prevention planners to facilitate the understanding of the complex interaction between behavioral concerns and environmental contexts. US secondary schools of the Alabama Campus Coalition for Basic Needs implemented the HFHE approach using community-based participatory methods. The six steps of the HFHE approach include: (1) ENGAGE, (2) ASSESS, (3) PLAN, (4) IMPLEMENT, (5) EVALUATE, and (6) CELEBRATE. Each campus developed a campus coalition to carry out the HFHE approach.

Results: All twenty-nine ACCBN partners implemented interventions using the HFHE approach. Interventions included implementing food pantries, developing food scholarships, expanding food pantries, creation of a Hunger Studies minor, graduate student funding for research and marketing support of the food pantry, and 24-hour access to campus food pantry.

Conclusions: Food-aid resources are needed on college campuses to support the growing body of food insecure college students. More work is needed to identify barriers of utilizing campus food-aid resources.

Funding Sources: ECMC Foundation, Ichigo Foundation