by Courtney Cohn

Food insecurity and childhood hunger in Prince George’s County continue to be exacerbated by COVID-19. 

Fortunately, students, families and staff are able to receive meals from their local schools, many of which have resorted to virtual learning amid the pandemic, and on campus at the University of Maryland. 

The university’s Campus Pantry is especially important in a time when many students are struggling financially more than usual.

“I know there are students in particular, [like] grad students, who are not able to work to fund their education or to fund life due to COVID-19 and due to the things that have shut down,” W Bartram Hipple, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communication for Dining Services said. “I think there are people in serious distress right now.”

Though many have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, the pantry still allows them to bring home good quality meals to their families, senior environmental science and technology major and UMD Campus Pantry intern Janaye Riley said.

“It’s a safety net for people that have lost their jobs or have been limiting work hours to work,” Riley said.

The UMD Campus Pantry now has an outdoor location at the loading dock of South Campus Dining Hall and is providing pre-packed grocery bags to students in need, while still keeping everyone safe during the pandemic.

“I’m assuming that a lot of people have to work a lot more now to make ends meet. Grocery shopping might not fit into their daily schedule,” Joy Arellano, a senior public health science major and Campus Pantry intern, said. “I do think that it’s quite convenient, where we are located, and that we are on campus.”

Additionally, Prince George’s County Public Schools is ensuring that students and families are still able to get their meals that they normally would get during the school day. Students can pick up their breakfast, lunch and dinner for the week on Mondays and Wednesdays at designated times. This is especially important for students that rely on the Free and Reduced Meals Program.

For families that cannot drive to the school to pick up the food, the county delivers it to their address through busing.

“When the coronavirus closed schools across Maryland, PG County Public Schools really stepped up, innovating in real time to make sure students didn’t miss the meals they rely on,” Ayesha Holmes, Director of the No Kid Hungry Maryland campaign said. 

Alvin Thornton, chair of the Prince George’s County Board of Education, believes that the county is prepared to deal with the worsening of childhood hunger during this pandemic because it is an issue they have been addressing for a long time. 

“Even though COVID-19 magnified this issue, it has always been a problem,” Thornton said. “COVID-19 brought it out into the open.”

According to Holmes, more than 300,000 kids in Maryland relied on the free and reduced-price meals they received at their schools last year. And as the pandemic increases poverty rates, that number is bound to rise.

“During this crisis, school meals can be a valuable source of nutrition and comfort for kids, while alleviating stress for parents who have found themselves juggling new responsibilities or struggling to make ends meet,” Holmes said.

Typically, some students will receive breakfast, lunch,and dinner each day at school without much attention, but now that many schools are virtual, students have to drive to school specifically to pick up meals or get their meals delivered. They have to go out of their way, instead of it being part of their typical routine.

The impact of providing students nutritious meals is obvious. Children will not be hungry and they will have food, which allows them to be more successful in school and in their personal lives, Thornton said. 

“They can play and they can grow, their little bodies can develop and they don’t fall behind academically,” Thornton said. “They go to school with proper nourishment, and so they can learn and they can be attentive.”

Featured photo: The UMD Campus Pantry moved to an outdoor location after the onset of the pandemic made it difficult to serve students in their indoor facility. Photo courtesy of UMD Campus Pantry.