Students open Food Bank at CCU

More than 80 students and faculty gathered Tuesday, Nov. 13, outside the Student Activity House in University Place to celebrate the grand opening of Coastal Carolina’s Food Bank. The highlight of the event was when 28 volunteers plunged into the swimming pool’s near freezing temperature to raise awareness of student hunger and food insecurity at CCU. The Food Bank, which is stocked with around 3,700 canned food items, was originally an idea of a freshman academic adviser.

Cara Scheuer, a freshman academic adviser and teacher of a University 110 class, began formulating ideas for a Food Bank for students in the spring of 2012. Scheuer proposed to have a place where students who may be struggling financially to purchase food could be provided a meal or two to ease their burden. “With the troubling economy, students just like anyone else are going through financial hardship,” says Scheuer. “I’ve heard numerous stories of students struggling…That should not be their number one concern. Their concern should be going toward being a successful student.”

The University 110 First-Year Experience (FYE) class that Scheuer teaches is one of around 80 classes that enable first-year students to develop creative and critical thinking skills, information literacy and the personal and social skills needed to successfully move from high school to a university. Part of the requirement of the class is to implement a service learning project that benefits the community.

The Food Bank started with a Food Bank Steering Committee, which included faculty members of various departments at CCU, to generate ideas and later instructions for all FYE teachers. All FYE students participated in the development of the Food Bank by either learning about the issues of hunger and nutrition, collecting food, stocking inventory of food or creating shelves to support food supplies. 

Fundraising for the food bank has been successful. Most of the canned food items were donated through a canned food sculpture contest during homecoming week at CCU. In addition, other events such as Student Movie Night required a canned food item for admission, and organizers of Love Your Body Day requested a canned food donation.

Thanks to the students and their fundraising efforts, there is now an abundance of food available to students in need. “My goal moving forward is to spread awareness of the resources available for the students,” says Scheuer. “I want as many students as possible to know about the Food Bank so they can start using it.”

Students who wish to donate or receive food from the Food Bank can do so at the Student Activity house in University Place. Students must complete a liability form and survey in order to receive food. The survey is designed to generate data on food insecurity among students as well as determine what types of food are needed. The Food Bank will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 26 through Dec. 5 and will be run by student volunteers. After Dec. 5, it will be up to the student volunteers to run the Food Bank and determine the days and times it will be open. 

Scheuer understands the worth behind the service learning component of the FYE classes. “I really believe in the value that it (community service) can bring to education beyond classroom learning,” says Scheuer. This opportunity allows first year students to “apply what they’re learning in the classroom and do good for the community.”