Nonprofit seeks to feed college students
A previous version of this story had an incorrect date for the Thanksgiving food giveaway. It has been corrected to reflect the correct date.
The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith community is working with an area nonprofit to provide food for college students on a monthly basis.
Antioch Food Pantry will stock 200 on-campus apartments with food for the beginning of the semester. The event, which officials are calling Fill the Fridge, will be at noon Friday, Aug. 19, said Charolette Tidwell, Antioch's founder.
Tidwell said her main goal is to provide students with nutritious food. Students will receive milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables along with nonperishable items.
For Dave Stevens, the associate vice chancellor and dean of students, this event is important because college students are paying a lot to pursue their degrees, and that means that some students are going hungry.
“Students are making a significant sacrifice to pursue a degree," Stevens said.
National studies indicate that 1 in 3 college students struggle with food insecurity, Stevens said.
There is a narrative that people latch on to that college students are supposed to financially struggle, said Kara Crowley, student activities and civic engagement coordinator.
"That’s absurd that it’s so widely accepted as okay for college students to be seen as so broke because they are paying for their education," Crowley said.
Crowley said that it is important for college students to have access to nutritional foods.
“No student should ever be hungry in class," Crowley said.
At the event, Crowley also wants to inform students about the Dave Stevens Lion Pride Pantry on campus.
After the August event, Antioch will provide food to the university on the first Tuesday of every month.
Stevens said he hopes this event helps to combat the stigma surrounding seeking help for food insecurity.
Crowley said that students were behind the idea for Fill the Fridge. Crowley credits Tidwell with getting the program started.
“We came up with the idea behind it, but Ms. Charolette has been the driving force for sure," Crowley said.
Anyone can make an appointment to receive food from Antioch from Monday to Friday. The organization also has a curbside food give away that starts at 9 a.m. Wednesdays at the Antioch Food Pantry, located at 1420 N 32nd Street.
Tidwell is also preparing for her Thanksgiving food giveaway and encourages people to donate money or nonperishable items. Tidwell also needs about 200 volunteers to give out the food.
On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 12, at Kay Rodgers Park, Antioch will give out turkeys and Cornish hens along with other foods to complete their Thanksgiving meal.
This will mark Antioch's fifth Thanksgiving giveaway, Tidwell said.
Crowley said about Tidwell's work, “She has fed the people of Fort Smith and done amazing things over there at Antioch."
Alex Gladden is a University of Arkansas graduate. She previously reported for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and The Jonesboro Sun before joining the Times Record. She can be contacted at agladden@swtimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: UAFS students to receive food from Fort Smith nonprofit
