​In-person speakers, panelists, and moderators for the Campus Hunger Forum (left to right): Samantha VanKooy, Assoc. VP of Community Engagement & Human Services, RCSJ; Lisa Pitz, Director, Hunger Free New Jersey; Greg Loder, Director of Marketing & Advocacy, Food Bank of South Jersey; Maura Sanders, Chief Counsel for Public Benefits, Legal Services of New Jersey; Kristen Wilson, Director of Behavioral Services, RCSJ; Laura O., Health Science/Nursing pathway student, RCSJ; Juan T., Psychology student, RCSJ; Robert Abbamondi, Assis. Director of Neighborhood Impact, Community Foodbank of New Jersey; Kaya Durkee, SNAP Outreach Coordinator, Food Bank of South Jersey; Denyelle Burgess, Assis. Director of Advocacy Outreach, Community Foodbank of South Jersey; Mark Dinglasan, Exec. Director, N.J. Office of the Food Security Advocate; Jake Farbman, Exec. Director, Economic Mobility Initiatives, N.J. Council of Community Colleges.​

Friday, April 4, Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) hosted a College Hunger Forum, in collaboration with the Community Foodbank of New Jersey, the Food Bank of South Jersey, the Hunger Free New Jersey program, and the New Jersey Council of Community Colleges. The forum brought together students and leaders from across the state to discuss the landscape of campus food insecurity and how colleges can work with legislators and community impact groups to make a difference.  

“We were proud to be asked by Lisa Pitz, Director of Hunger Free New Jersey, to host today's session, despite how sad it is that we're all here to talk about food insecurity on college and university campuses," remarked RCSJ's president, Frederick Keating, Ed.D. “But this is a necessary conversation and I'm grateful to my colleagues for showing up and pledging themselves to a world where we take care of our students no matter what." 

Pitz shared Hunger-Free NJ's mission to improve access to healthy food, along with statistics that illustrate just how grave the issue has become. 

“According to the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, one in three students in New Jersey lack consistent access to adequate food sources, and that's based on a survey from spring of 2024," she outlined.  

“We have so few of our likely eligible college students getting SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program), according to the Government Accountability Office," Pitz continued. “They estimate that fewer than two in five food-insecure students met SNAP eligibility criteria; but six in ten students who are both food insecure and likely eligible for SNAP are not participating." 

Following remarks from virtual participant Hillary Caron, policy consultant for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, about ongoing efforts and strategies to expand SNAP access in Illinois, the forum continued with a series of focused panels. 

The first panel was centered on the student experience. Attendees heard from three college and university students who have faced food insecurity themselves and now serve as campus food pantry advocates and peer-educators. Robert Abbamondi, Assistant Director of Neighborhood Impact for the Community Foodbank of New Jersey, and Kaya Durkee, SNAP Outreach Coordinator for the Food Bank of South Jersey – who both work as SNAP navigators – also participated to help answer questions about program access. 

“I remember the very first day that I went to the Advisement office, and I just broke down and cried," shared Laura O., a Health Science/Nursing pathway student at RCSJ's Gloucester campus. “The person I spoke to took me straight to the Wellness Center and my life changed from there on out." 

“I've been looking – searching – for a home and I found it here at Rowan College, honestly," followed Juan T., a Psychology major at RCSJ's Cumberland campus. “Growing up, I had a lot of friends who were afraid, or shy – or embarrassed, really – that they were from families that had SNAP. I saw bullying happen in schools [over it] . . . That can really damage someone's dignity, you know?" 

“I'm a first-generation college student, graduating this May . . . I have four daughters and in 2017 when I decided to go back to school to try to make a better life for me and my kids, I was not quite sure how I was going to swing it," admitted Melissa L., a Sociology major and Public Administration minor at Rutgers University's North campus who participated in the forum virtually. “I definitely used SNAP throughout that process. I was just able to get off of SNAP last year, and moving towards self-sufficiency is a huge accomplishment, I think." 

The panel's navigators answered questions and explained the function of SNAP navigators in NJ. Applying for SNAP can be complicated, especially for college students who may struggle to meet the required exemptions. Having a SNAP navigator with specialized knowledge of available programs in their county and the associated requirements can streamline the process. 

The second panel featured N.J. Assemblyman William Spearman (district 5) who serves as chair of the Commerce, Economic Development, & Agriculture committee and vice-chair of the Children, Families, & Food Security committee; and N.J. Assemblyman Cody Miller (district 4), who serves on the Higher Education committee and as executive director of RCSJ's Foundation. They shared their experiences of growing up in food-insecure families and how that has driven them to take up the fight against hunger, even in the face federal legislative actions and state budget cuts. 

“I think it's amazing that these students spoke here about the issues they have personally experienced. There was a time where we didn't share those stories," reflected Miller. “I always try to talk to people about my own experience . . . You don't know it until you hear other people's stories that you were in those similar situations. So, we need to continue to talk about it, because the more we talk, the more students will know that there are resources available to them." 

“I think the challenge for us at a state level is to figure out how we can use the resources that we have more efficiently, and I'm speaking about our farms," expounded Spearman.  

“Many farmers have full-time jobs outside of farming because they don't know how much money they're going to make from their crop . . . We're working on a way to replace [recently cut] funding so we can make sure food banks are able to purchase food from farmers in advance . . . We will be able to make sure people get healthy food and that our farmers get a decent price for their food." 

After further discussion of legislative solutions, the final panel of the day began. Mark Dinglasan, Executive Director, N.J. Office of the Food Security Advocate; Maura Sanders, Chief Counsel for Public Benefits, Legal Services of N.J.; and Jake Farbman, Executive Director, N.J. Council of County Colleges discussed the true scope of the problem and how legislators, advocates, and educators can work together towards creating food security. 

“There is a very big difference between talking about fighting hunger and building food security," clarified Dinglasan. "The world has an actual definition for what it means to make somebody food secure. The United Nations says that true food security only exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to safe, sufficient, nutritious food, for both dietary and cultural preferences, for both an active and healthy lifestyle. It's about more than a bag of food." 

“This is something I've cared about for a very long time," noted Sanders. “Food insecurity is such a huge barrier for so many folks in New Jersey who are trying to look forward in life, trying to get an education . . . trying to be at least economically self-sustaining." 

“We've got to make sure that students have every tool they need to be successful in their program so they can earn a degree or credential to get a job that pays a family-sustaining wage," emphasized Farbman.  

He encouraged everyone to join the Hunger Free Campus Network, a new coalition convened by Hunger Free New Jersey to identify a broad range of solutions to address the derailing effect hunger has on college students' efforts to obtain their degrees at colleges and universities across the state. 

“If your purpose is to help with economic liberation, we want you to join the Hunger Free Campus Network," he concluded. 

For RCSJ students experiencing life stressors, including difficulty adjusting to college or life transitions, food insecurity, homelessness, family problems, substance use issues, energy assistance, childcare needs, domestic violence, and/or navigating health insurance needs, contact the Center for Wellness and Support for free and confidential assistance. 

To learn more visit RCSJ.edu/CWS. To access services email [email protected] or stop by the Cumberland or Gloucester campus locations. ​