Chatham Receives a Hunger-Free Campus Designation
Chatham University has been designated a PA Hunger-Free Campus, recognizing the University’s efforts to assist students in meeting their basic needs through a variety of means. Chatham is one of 70 state institutions to earn this designation by:
having a method to directly connect students to food options an on-campus food pantry, a local community-based food pantry, or a food delivery program;
having strategies in place to increase awareness of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility rules for students;
having a task force that meets on a regular basis to address basic needs initiatives, including hunger, and raises awareness among students using an equity, inclusion, and belonging lens; and
collecting and reporting data to the college/university community and/or state on student food insecurity.
At Chatham, the Office of Student Affairs works directly with campus and community organizations to provide several services to further assist students with essential needs. Through the Student Emergency Fund students can request short-term financial assistance when unable to meet immediate, essential expenses because of temporary hardship. Outside of monetary assistance, students are additionally able to request assistance with purchasing textbooks and accessing meal vouchers, including longer-term connections to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) through the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
In addition, Chatham’s Food Studies program has a strong focus on food access, and the Eden Hall campus has a campus farm and Agroecology Demonstration Garden that has had a long-term focus on sharing fresh produce with students, faculty, and staff. Additionally, there have been several student course projects that have explored importance of addressing food insecurity for LGBTQ+ students, as well as efforts to support fresh produce pop-ups on the Shadyside campus in coordination with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
“We see this as a beginning of efforts, not the end,” says Christopher Purcell, Ed.D., Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students. “We are proud of this designation but know that there is still work to do and we will be advancing our efforts over the coming years to assist students in meeting their basic needs and more.”
The PA Hunger-Free Campus designation is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Office of the First Lady and the Department of Education (PDE) to advance student food security efforts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Learn more at https://www.education.pa.gov/Postsecondary-Adult/PAHungerFreeCampus/Pages/PAHungerFreeCampus.aspx.