Arkansas Future Caucus Co-Chairs Call On Governor to Address Growing Food Insecurity Among College Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 22, 2020

MEDIA CONTACT:

Stacy Lewis

[email protected]

WASHINGTON — Arkansas State Representatives Jamie Scott (D) and Aaron Pilkington (R) penned a letter earlier this month to Governor Asa Hutchinson calling on his administration to address the rapidly growing problem of food insecurity among college students in the state.

Reps. Scott and Pilkington—the co-chairs of the Arkansas Future Caucus, an arm of the Millennial Action Project’s State Future Caucus Network—are asking the state to make available $50,000 for a pilot program that would put food pantries on college campuses. 

“The number of low-income college students in America has increased causing many college campuses to face issues related to poverty for the first time. Studies have shown that 36 percent of students on U.S. college campuses are considered food insecure,” the letter reads. “Phillips County, which is the home of Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, has the highest food insecurity rate in Arkansas at 29.5 percent.”

The letter goes on to note the adverse effects of food insecurity among college students in retention and academic performance. 

“Proper nutrition is vital to a student’s ability to perform at their highest academic level, and we would like to offer Arkansas students every opportunity to reach their full potential,” Reps. Scott and Pilkington write.

The bipartisan duo also invited Arkansans to supplement the effort by donating goods through the Amazon wish list. The letter can be found here. 

###