By
Richard C. Vara
April 24, 2022
College students have a lot to worry about in today’s society. The pressure of studying, competing in a global market, and obtaining marketable skills for the future are just a few things on that list. Now add gas, money, and food to that list and you have a recipe for stress and anxiety. Especially if you happen to be a low-income college student or have limited resources. Resources such as food, clothing, housing, and sanitation products are some of the things that most of us take for granted. Most of us have access to a lot of these items including the internet a necessity for a lot of students, however, it is a tool a lot of college students lack access to. In an article entitled “Many college students struggle to have their basic needs met.”
“More than a 1/3 of college students in the United States lack enough to eat and stable housing. A study of 43,000 students at 31 community colleges and 35 four-year universities in 20 states and Washington, D.C. found that 36% of college students are food insecure, and 36% are in precarious housing situations.” Reports the American Psychological Association.
Photo by: Richard C. Vara
Food insecurity is a major issue for college students in the United States and a major stress factor for them. Wondering where your next meal is coming from and getting ready for exams are not a good combination. However, there is a university in Houston, Texas that is working to alleviate one of those stresses for their students. The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) offers its students a free food market to help alleviate the issue of hunger and foodstuffs for their students. The UHD food market allows students to stop by and receive up to 40 pounds of free groceries and other items every week. The only requirement the food market has is that you are a student of UHD and follow the limits posted on the items. Join Richard Vara as he interviews some of the student workers who volunteer at the market and some students who benefit from the market’s generosity.
Photo by: Richard C. Vara
Listen on Google Podcasts here.
