Running head: COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT 1

Community Problem Report:

Food Insecurity at UTEP

The University of Texas at El Paso

Rhetoric & Composition 1301

Esmeralda Cordero
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Abstract

Many people at the University of Texas at El Paso now in days are still affected by hunger just

like many other schools in the United States. Bringing awareness to students and others can help

reduce the community problem, by informing them students about food insecurity and how it

affects our community and the ways students can help. The United States has many benefits to

provide food to those in need but there are people who still suffer from starvation. Hunger is

destroying our education in a way that students do not have a healthy mind, keeping them unable

to concentrate as someone who eats healthy during studying. The epidemic that hunger is making

in humanity is threating which should be forewarned to students, for them to come up with

solutions for a better future and feel consideration for better actions.

Keywords: UTEP, Food insecurity, hunger

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Community Problem Report:

Food Insecurity at UTEP

The University of Texas at El Paso

According to Bauer (2018), About 36 percent of students attending four year-colleges and

universities said they had “low” or “very low” food security. The USDA defines food insecurity

as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for all household members also as, a condition

when persons do not have adequate resources to feed themselves, either nutritiously or at all,

Jensen (2014). According to Esquinca (2015), 60 students are registered with foster homeless

adopted resources, 4,000 students are living on $12,000 or less per year. That’s about 16 to 17

percent of the entire UTEP population. Hunger is a community problem were students continue

to be hungry and do not get the accurate learning experience they should be having due to poor

health. During the last two decades hunger has reemerged as an important social issue in the

United States. People face food insecurity in a daily basis but there is also a problem with

obesity, which are the people who live with overweight. Hunger also affects college students

because as they do not have a healthy life, their brains cannot function in an ordinary way.

Hunger is a topic that should be discussed in classes because it can bring awareness to the world,

and changes can be made for a better. Hunger could one day become history on earth, if it is

taught to students about not only what it is but in what ways people can help to prevent it. The

struggles of students at UTEP, experiencing food insecurity stem from challenges such as low

family income, lack of financial aid, high tuition, personal emergencies, and/or cost of living.

Teaching Hunger in Classes

It is important to teach about hunger in classes. At UTEP, according to Martinez (2015),

760 students said they knew someone suffering from food and shelter insecurity on campus.
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Hunger is an issue in today’s society and it is a problem that has brought deaths, therefore it is

extremely dangerous. Teachers could teach farming methods to help students communicate with

each other and make a positive impact for the future. As Cady (2016) argued, hunger impacts

learning outcomes as well as student and community wellness (p. 28). Cady and other people

with observational studies have seen and reported, that food insecurity is a big impact in students

and their way of learning and brain functioning. There are students in universities which face

hunger issues, as Cady (2016) reasoned, colleges and universities reveal shockingly high rates of

food insecurity (p. 27). Hunger should be conversed more in classes to lessen people who are

affected by food insecurity. Or for those which do not as well to help one another fight hunger

together. Hunger is an important topic that if it is taught in schools it can help the students

someday have more solutions, were hunger can become extinct. UTEP should consider teaching

students how to change hunger issues into farming knowledge. Shetty (2015) argued, Agriculture

can increase food availability and improve household income, also farming can reduce the idea

of hunger and bring new healthy style to the world. (p. 459). Professors at UTEP should teach

food history to students so they can learn about new methods and have new ideas of, planting our

own food. As history can help bring awareness and new inventories, it can help increase the

knowledge of farming and decrease food insecurity. Toews (2000) stated, food production and

human health depend upon complex ecological and social factors. It is important to start teaching

now about hunger, before an actual problem happens and people try to talk to so many students

at once when they can take their time. Cady argued “As more and more people on campus

become aware of the experiences of our low-income students, we are able to make these changes

proactively and not when students are experiencing crisis” (p. 30).
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Causes of Hunger

Students at UTEP should consider reading and investigating about hunger and its side

effects, or important history events. Mears (2011) stated that when you are very hungry, you

learn what you can stand, and if you do not crumble under the weight of it, it teaches you

courage and character. According to Weinreb (2002) hungry children are more likely to

experience anxiety and depressive symptoms”. Effects on hunger can respond different in many

people and have different effects. Hunger may occur when the members of a house hold start to

skip meals or decrease their total food intake due to the decreased food supply available to them.

According to Erigel (2007) adults from food insecure households are more likely to describe

more stress and anxiety, depressive symptoms, lower self-esteem, emotional distress, social

isolation and poorer overall mental health status. The symptoms that people face when they miss

meals have a big impact and effect when it comes to school, and studying. The UTEP pantries

have had 1,494 visits since 2016 to April, 2018 as it was investigated by myself.

Learning about Obesity which is when people are over eating and are overweight can

help the hunger because it is shown how many people miss meals and how others eat more than

they should daily. As claimed by Morales (2013), the prevalence rate of obesity continues to be a

public health concern. As Toews (2000) claimed “More food is needed and quickly, about a third

of the world’s children are underweight and/or undernourished and, although this has been

declining in recent decades, it still translates into tens of millions of children. In fact, the world is

now facing a global epidemic of depilating obesity associated with diabetes, heart disease and a

plethora of other diseases.

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UTEP community programs

UTEP should have organizations which support people with food insecurity issues.

According to the UTEP news archive (2016), The pantry which is operated by miner

connections, opened officially in fall 2015 and is ready to serve to students and staff. At UTEP

no application is necessary to get food. As Cady (2016) claimed “Food Pantries can serve

thousands of students. creating a food pantry or similar program does not mean the work is done,

food insecurity is a symptom of a larger social illness, poverty which also needs to be addressed.

As Cady argued a Pantry can help so many students in need because there is more people in

campus which donate cans and other things causing everyone together can help each other.

Toews (2000) stated, it is not what is changing that is important; it is the speed, intensity, scale

and ownership of change at the dawn of the 21st century that make all the difference. At the

UTEP’s campus there are several food pantries were students, staff, teachers, and faculty can go

for free and fill in a survey without having to give out their names. UTEP not only offers help for

those with hunger issues but it also accepts donations from those who have the privilege to help

others, the UTEP’s food pantry is made by students for students. One such campus organization

is Miners against hunger which provides food for people in need internationally and in El Paso

community. (See image 1). A food pantry is found at the Liberal arts building room number 233,

at the Women´s and Gender study which is run off by Dr. Nunez. The other Pantry is found at the

Union west building room 111, at the Student engagement and leadership center run off by

Esperanza Candelaria.

Image 1. Miners Against Hunger

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Miners Against Hunger will advocate against hunger, provide awareness to the

community about the dangers of malnutrition, and programs that can aid those in need.

conclusion

At UTEP there are several students who have addressed to face food insecurity. At UTEP

there are two food pantries for students, teachers and staff with no application necessary. Hunger

has health effects on people which leads them to have a hard time concentrating. At UTEP the

food pantries are made from students to students. Keeping people informed may help those in

need to have a better health by going to these pantries at campus, but also can help those people

with good income donate for those whom have low income.
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References

Cady, C. (2016). Starving for Knowledge: Why Campuses Need to Address Student Food

Insecurity. About Campus, 21(2), 27-31. doi:10.1002/abc.21238

Esquinca, M. (2015). Students address food insecurity on campus. The Prospector. Retrieved

from https://www.theprospectordaily.com/2015/09/29/students-address-food-insecurity-

on-campus/

Martinez, J. (2015). UTEP Food Pantry opens to students in need on campus. Borderzine

Retrieved from: http://borderzine.com/2015/10/utep-food-pantry-opens-to-students-in-

need-on-campus/

Mears, A. (2011). Hunger. The North American Review, 296(1), 34-36. Retrieved from

http://0-www.jstor.org.lib.utep.edu/stable/23054962

Bauer, J. (2018). Still Hungry. Inside Higher ED. Retrieved from:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/04/04/students-access-food-still-problem-

college-campuses-study-shows

Shetty, P. (2015) From food security to food and nutrition security: role of agriculture and

farming Systems for nutrition. Current Science, 109(3), 456-461

Toews, W., Lang, T. Global Change & Human Health (2000) 1: 116.

https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010025021186

Weinreb, L. (2002). Hunger: It’s Impact on Children’s Health and Mental Health. Pediatrics,

110 (4). doi:10.1542/peds.110.4e41

Feeding America. "Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity 2011." Feeding America,
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2011 Web Accessed July 22, 2014 retrieved from http://map.feedingamerica.org

Image 1. Miners Against Hunger

This image is from https://utep.galaxydigital.com/agency/detail/?agency_id=83160