Having access to healthy food is an important part of living; it’s how we can keep ourselves and our bodies healthy. But what if someone doesn’t have access to nutritious foods?
Let me introduce you to food deserts. According to the Food Empowerment Project, food deserts include any areas in which individuals have limited access to “affordable, healthy food options (especially fruits and vegetables) due to the absence of grocery stores within a convenient traveling distance.”
While food deserts often refer to community-wide issues, food insecurity can be experienced on an individual level. Take Berrien Springs, for example. Berrien Springs is one of several food deserts that exist in Berrien County, according to a 2017 report from Be Healthy Berrien. While we have Apple Valley Market, the higher price range of products makes it out of reach for some people in the area, particularly on our campus. Hardings is another option for some, but it is a little further away for Andrews students. The largest grocery store nearby is Walmart, which is about 15 minutes away. Because we do not have any local transportation systems to help those without cars, we have created a food desert.
Ever wonder why places such as Dollar General pop up in rural locations? They contribute to the perpetuation of food deserts because they don’t supply healthy alternatives for individuals in those areas. Without transportation, it becomes impossible for people to get the food resources they need.
With limited resources and access to food, students can often have difficulty finding healthy foods. While resources such as the cafeteria and Gazebo are available, they cannot always be a reliable way to access these foods. The options provided at the Gazebo are repetitive and it’s easy to get tired of eating there. Both the cafeteria and Gazebo foods are high in grease content and can be heavy on the stomach. As the semester starts to wrap up, people often run out of money on their meal plans, and when this happens, how can they gain access to healthy foods?
Once meal plan funds have been used up, people often have to pick and choose when they can have a meal. They can’t always eat when they are hungry because they have to wait for a friend or kind stranger to pay for their meals. Many go hungry because of a lack of access to food.
However, last year, something amazing began to happen on our campus. AU Food Plug helped deliver meals to students who needed them. In partnering with students with a surplus of meal plan money at the end of the spring semester, meals were scheduled to be picked up and delivered from the cafeteria to University Towers. With efforts such as this, students were able to get the food they needed in order to stay well fed on campus. If you have money to spare from your meal plan, keep an eye out and take care of people around you who cannot afford essential meals.
While we continue to think about how food deserts impact the people in our community, let us continue to do our part in helping those around us who may need food assistance. If you have a car, take people to the grocery store when you go. If you have extra meal plan money, then you know what to do with it: Pay for your friends or random people in line. It is never too late to help people in need! If you are someone who has run out of meal plan money and does not have a reliable form of transportation, reach out to friends who can assist you. Or even strangers! If anyone comes up to me in the gazebo or cafeteria line, I will gladly pay for you. We must remember that everyone deserves the right to healthy food resources.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.