Local College Professor Rescues Food to Fight Student Hunger on Campus

In the U.S., 39 percent of undergrads are low-income and in danger of experiencing food insecurity. One professor at San Diego State University (SDSU) has taken action to combat student hunger on campus. By partnering with Feeding San Diego, Dr. ‘Niyi Coker has created a system of free pantries on campus which he keeps stocked by rescuing food from local stores. What started as a support system for the students of the School of Theatre, Television, and Film has blossomed into a school-wide initiative powered by Dr. Coker and his students.

How Do You Study When You’re Hungry?

Dr. Coker joined the SDSU School of Theatre, Television, and Film in early 2018 and was surprised to find that many of his students were going hungry.

“I had just moved to California from Missouri and one of the first things that kind of shocked me being here was that there was a lot of food insecurity and I couldn’t kind of reconcile it,” he said. “Colleagues were telling us ‘I don’t think that person has had anything to eat in two or three days and doesn’t have the money to buy food.’ The closer you get to students, when they let their guard down, that’s always on top of the list. And how do you study when you can’t eat? How do you study when you’re hungry?”

Dr. ‘Niyi Coker in his office at SDSU

For Dr. Coker, who has lived in many parts of the world, the idea that students in San Diego were going without food was staggering. The cost of living in San Diego and the expenses of going to a four-year university were leaving these students in a precarious position.

“We do give out scholarships and fellowships, but a lot of that goes to housing because housing is very expensive. Transportation is also very expensive, and just like in athletics, we demand a lot of our students. So, it became, how do we solve this?”

Solving the Problem of Student Hunger

For Dr. Coker, the solution to student food insecurity came from a partnership with Feeding San Diego.

“A colleague of mine here was already connected in some ways to Feeding San Diego. So he basically did the intro and we went through all of the classes and certificates,” he explained, pointing out his food safety certificate.

Through Feeding San Diego’s Retail Rescue program, Dr. Coker now has connections with several local stores, including Target, Sprouts, and Ralphs, who put aside food that would otherwise go to waste. They provide everything from staples, such as milk, eggs, and bread, to canned items and microwavable items. The operation has grown from Dr. Coker shouldering the responsibility alone to including staff and students.

Some of the food rescued from local retailers by Dr. Coker’s team

“We’re really happy that it came as a source to help students. It’s worked very well,” Dr. Coker said. “I insisted on doing it by myself at first since it was my idea and I didn’t want to drag anybody else through the process of getting up at five or six in the morning to get the school truck to do food rescue. I wanted to be sure that I understood the entire enterprise. This semester, staff members and students will be doing it.”

Overcoming Stigma to Provide Security

With more and more students from diverse backgrounds entering higher education, the starving student stereotype has become a reality. Many young students have no idea that there are resources available to them or they may be ashamed to reach out for the help they need.

“A lot of them aren’t going to tell you they’re not eating and each student thinks the other person needs it much more than they do,” Dr. Coker remarked. “We wanted to devise a means where it would be accessible with anonymity. You don’t need to show an ID card, you don’t need to tell anybody, it’s always open. You just go in anytime and take what you want that would help you.”

One of the three pantries in the SDSU School of Theatre, Television, and Film

There are now six locations around the SDSU campus where students can access free food, including three in the School of Theatre – no questions asked.

“It’s not just secluded to the School of Theatre, Television, and Film. We’ve opened it up to everyone on campus,” Dr. Coker said. “We have a pantry now in the dean’s office, one in African Studies, and one in the Communications building. And people know that and they tell their friends.”

The Difference Food Security Makes

According to Tenille Metti Bowling, director of communications at Swipe Out Hunger, students who deal with hunger often get lower grades than their counterparts and tend to withdraw before completing their degree or certificate.

Dr. Coker knows the impact that interrupting that cycle can have on students.

“The partnership with Feeding San Diego has made it possible for students to concentrate and focus in school. I think that ultimately makes for a richer world because education enlightens the mind and they can then go out and it’s not a vicious cycle where you have students who couldn’t graduate because they were undernourished. It’s just been a miracle in many ways and you really can’t put a price on it.”

In addition to feeding SDSU students, Dr. Coker has ambitions to expand the reach of their pantry program beyond the campus to serve the wider community.