Will Virginia fund college food pantries or leave students struggling? considers an important question. And for those not familiar with the struggles of students attending community college, this Virginia Merc piece provides an insight into one of many challenges facing today’s students: Access to food.
Rappahannock Community College has two pantries, one on the Glenns campus and one in Warsaw. Calleds “Squall’s Stall,” the pantries offer “Fresh, frozen, non-perishable and personal hygiene items are available to RCC students, faculty, and employees. Grab-and-go items are available too.”
Given that we know SNAP usage in three NNK counties is higher than the state average, it's not a stretch to believe that food insecurity is common among community college students. In House actions may negatively impact NNK residents on SNAP we wrote,
According to American Community Survey 5-Year data (2017-2021), three of the four counties on the Northern Neck―Lancaster (9.4%), Richmond (12.7%), and Westmoreland (17.8%)―had more households participating in this federal food supplement program than the Virginia state average of 8% (not including confidence intervals). In fact, Westmoreland County’s household participation of 17.8% was about 40% higher than the state rural average of 12.9%. (Source: SNAP Matters in Every Community—Metros, Small Towns, and Rural Communities)
Stay apprised of the bill by using the links in the Merc article.