Episode Transcript
[00:00:23] Speaker A: Hi everyone, and welcome back to just a bite. We have a thought provoking episode today to talk about the crisis facing our college students as they earn their degree. Joy Costanzic, associate director in the dean of students office at the University of Cincinnati, will share more about her work to support UC students in accessing their critical basic needs, particularly through the food pantry on campus and the campus resource center. We will also have state Representative Sean P. Brennan, serving Ohio's 14th House district, talk about his passion for addressing food insecurity in our communities, and House Bill 590, his bill this general assembly to establish a hunger free campus grant program in Ohio.
[00:01:14] Speaker B: Take a listen so hi Joy, thanks so much for joining us for the podcast today. I'm really excited to talk to you about this really important issue.
[00:01:31] Speaker C: Thank you for having me.
[00:01:33] Speaker B: Of course, you are a real expert in this area, so you know that it is such a critical and timely issue. With the Hope center reporting in 2021 that nearly three in five college students are experiencing basic needs and security and 48% of college students are being affected by housing insecurity, far too many college students are struggling to meet their basic needs as they study and learn with concerning consequences.
Not only are students facing basic needs insecurity more likely to face adverse mental and physical health outcomes and chronic stress, as well as have to having to make untenable trade offs between food and other basic needs. Students considered food insecure are 40% less likely to finish their undergraduate degree, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.
When talking about this issue, we must call out the disproportionate rates of hunger and hardship among black students and other students of color. The gap in basic needs and security among black students and white students was 16%, according to the same Hope center study.
International students are also uniquely vulnerable to hardship on campus, given their status and inability to receive government support.
All students are grappling with the staggeringly high cost of tuition with very little reprieve. All of these factors and many others snowball into a very bleak outlook for college students just trying to get by and for the higher education institutions that they are enrolled in.
Thankfully, there is an acknowledgement by colleges and universities, especially since the pandemic, that more needs to be done to address the college student basic needs crisis. Some colleges and universities have taken it upon themselves to establish food pantries and other basic needs programs on campus to better support their students.
One of the universities that has done this well is the University of Cincinnati. I am excited to dive into what you see doing for their students and hear what it is truly like for students who are struggling to make ends meet. So let's get started. Joy, knowing you well and looking at your resume, it is just so clear that you are passionate about this work and understand the gravity of this issue. I wanted to share with the listeners and brag on you a little bit that while you have been working at the University of Cincinnati, you have also served as the chair of the Big twelve Food Pantry alliance or on the leadership council for Swipe out hunger and are on the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council.
You also have experience in the local food space, making you just such a well rounded advocate.
So I know the listeners would love to hear more about your background and how you got into this work. So please introduce yourself.
[00:04:45] Speaker C: All right, thank you. Yeah. My name is Joy. I am the associate director of the dean of students office here at the University of Cincinnati, and that is the office where our basic needs programming is housed. And I have been passionate working on this problem and this topic for a long time. It really started when I was an undergrad at Ohio University.
The Southeast Ohio community has a super vibrant local food system, but also has really high rates of food insecurity. So that background and getting to learn within that context of an abundance of local food, but also an abundance of need, really was a life changing space to be in and to learn and grow in. So I was really fortunate to work with different nonprofits and organizations on campus and just community members on different parts of the food system while I lived there. And it really just inspired me to want to work in the food system space for my career. So after that, I worked at a local food hub where we did institutional food procurement for large clients of local food. And that's what brought me to Cincinnati. And then I wanted to get back, you know, that was the sustainable agriculture side. So I wanted to get back into the emergency food side, which is when I accepted my position here at UC in 2021.
[00:06:26] Speaker B: Awesome.
[00:06:27] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:06:27] Speaker B: Such a. Such a well rounded advocate. So passionate about this, even when I see you talking about it. So I would also love to know, what is your favorite meal on campus, either on UC's campus or OU? Whatever you want to go with.
[00:06:44] Speaker C: Yeah, well, if you're throwing ou in, my favorite meal there is definitely.
Well, not definitely, but one of the favorites is Casa Nueva, which is a kind of mexican fusion restaurant at the edge of campus. And here at UC, honestly, the place I spend most of my money is actually a coffee shop called the 86.
I'm a very regular customer there, and they also have a campus location, so it's super convenient, too.
[00:07:15] Speaker B: That's amazing. That sounds great. I know that hope and I are planning on possibly visiting ou, and we might have to take a stop.
[00:07:26] Speaker C: Yeah, please. I'll give you even more recommendations. I would love to do that.
[00:07:30] Speaker B: Love that. That's amazing. All right, so your department runs the Bearcat pantry and other basic needs initiatives on campus to level set. What programs do you run for? You see students and could you share how many students come through your programming? This can span the whole department.
I'd be curious to even know how you separate out that data, if you have it, whether that means, you know, they're picking up food from the pantry, clothing from the clothing closet that you guys operate, or any other program programming that you offer.
[00:08:10] Speaker C: Yeah, definitely. So we.
We collect data on individuals that use our services, as well as the number of times our services are used. So for the 2023 24 school year, which would be last fall, and then this past spring, we had 2102 people come through and they used our services 9048 times. So that either means they are repeat users, for one, or they could be using, you know, a multitude of the different things that we offer and within that portfolio. So we have our main resource center, where we have shelf stable food, as well as hygiene items and household supplies.
But we also have a lot other outreach and services going on. So we do satellite pantries across campus as well as to go bags to make our resources more accessible and easier to find. And then we do meal swipes into the dining halls, as well as a program called Healthy Bites, where they can get funds on their student card to purchase food in the campus markets and vending machines.
We have a professional clothing closet. That is exactly what it sounds like. It's a space for students to come get professional clothes for interviews and presentations, social services support. So we do. A part of our office is to do crisis case management for campus. That's called the Care team. So we created a branch of the care team to do more social services, connecting and supporting. So we'll help students connect into community based resources, campus resources. We'll do some pre screening for SnapDRa and just try to provide more than what just the resource center has for them. And then we also do diapers and wipes. We know that parenting students is a really big topic and is, you know, a demographic of students that typically need extra support. So we've been providing diapers, wipes, formula, and other baby supplies.
And then the two other big programs that I love and really am proud of are our garden and our farmers market that we started last year in 2023.
[00:10:45] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. Share a little bit more about the garden.
[00:10:49] Speaker C: Yeah, the garden. I was just there this morning. It's about ten minutes from campus, and we're growing on just under half an acre. It was kind of an unused lot on one of our auxiliary properties, and I started it last year just kind of boots on the ground, doing what I can, and quickly partnered with our horticulture program through our college, our DAP college that hosts the School of Planning and Horticulture. And Brian Grubb, the professor in that program, partnered with me to help with infrastructure, and he ended up designing three classes that are out at the garden throughout the year. And this past summer, we hired two interns to help run it. But it's really become this amazing green space, and everything we grow, we take straight to the pantry. So it's, you know, got the academic component, the sustainability component, and it's also still helping us provide, you know, that healthy, fresh produce that is actually the most requested item in the pantry. So it really helps us offset and having to spend on those resources. And then the farmers market, I also.
We started last year and are expanding it this year. It's a model that I am really proud of. We are able to use donated funds to purchase the food upfront from the farmers and then turn around and pass it out for free to students. So it's like a win win on every level because farmers get a guaranteed sale, which is often a risk for a farmer's market. And then there's no food waste because any leftovers come straight to the pantry. And then students get free food, but also get that, you know, farmers market experience where they get to shop around and talk to the people that are growing the food. So that was piloted, and then this year, we did double the markets and double the volume from our farmers.
[00:12:53] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. Those programs sound amazing. Like, how's the intake process for particularly, like, the pantry and even, like, the farmers market initiative? Curious to hear a little bit about that.
[00:13:07] Speaker C: Yeah, so we. We do collect. The main thing is our students m numbers, which is their student id. And by collecting that, we enter it into our confidential case management system, which allows us to pull demographic info. So that's really critical to our programming, so we understand who we're serving.
You know, a lot of our students are international students. A lot of them are graduate students. And that just helps us, you know, have a better picture of what their needs may be. The type of products we offer and things like that. So that's our main collection method. We don't do any kind of needs based assessment for a couple reasons. One, we want to be an open resource to our students. We want. We don't. We want to eliminate as many barriers as possible to coming in and using the services that we provide. And we also honestly don't have a huge capacity to do regular needs based assessment. So it's a win win because we are able to, you know, be open and not have a lot of those barriers.
And we also, you know, use these national statistics to help us because we're not collecting the need. We do still have a picture of what the need looks like for our students at UC.
[00:14:35] Speaker B: Yeah, that's super helpful to know. And it sounds like you all are taking a really holistic approach to, you know, just meeting students needs, whether that be, you know, the case management that you offer and connecting them to other services that's so, so critical to meeting their needs, you know, right in the moment with, you know, the emergency food pantry and things like that. So that's awesome. You know, we talk a lot in this work about how things have changed so much, especially since the pandemic.
And, you know, the demographics of college students have drastically changed from a few decades ago. There are many reasons for this, but one of those is that college is more accessible now than in the past. Now the reason is that many well paying jobs now require post secondary degrees. This really puts college students in a bind, especially those from low income backgrounds.
I know that you have been at UC as program coordinator and now associate director since 2021. I'm curious to hear how what has changed since you have started in 2021. I know that you are also, of course, working in this space while at OU. So you're also able to bring in any of that experience to this question as well.
[00:16:03] Speaker C: Yeah. So we have really seen a huge increase in need as well as usage since I started in 2021.
Not only do we see that in our numbers, but just the type of, you know, purchasing we're doing with our food bank. The type, the number of student staff that we've needed to keep the resource center open. It's all really scaled year by year because the demand just keeps going up. And I think that, you know, I think there's two, maybe two or three reasons that this is happening. One is definitely our increased, like, promotion and awareness of the resource. I know when I first started working here, if I was doing a presentation, I would ask, who's heard of the BCP? And you know, only a couple people would raise their hand, and I do, you know, that's not actual data, but I feel like the hands are going up a lot more and people are just more aware and more comfortable coming to use the resource. And we've, as our programs have expanded, we've been really intentional of, you know, designing them to meet students where they're at. So those satellite pantries and to go bags, you know, we. We are kind of on the side of campus, so we wanted to do more to just be as convenient as possible and have options for students, no matter their comfort level. If they don't feel comfortable physically getting food from us, you know, meal swipes is a great option because similar to the EBT card, it just looks like any other card that you're using to get into the dining hall. So I think that intentional design has helped increase the usage.
Another big factor, obviously, is Covid-19 as you said. You know, we are all feeling the pains of inflation with food and housing, and it's just so, so heavy and critical for college students who, you know, are either living on a graduate stipend that's fixed and they can't make more money than that, or, you know, students that are working multiple jobs outside of their academic demands just to meet their bills. It's a pressure that, you know, everyone's experiencing. And Cincinnati is really, really intense with the housing situation and the lack of housing that's available at an affordable price. So we know that that's just continuing to intensify and be a huge part of students decisions, you know, whether to come or stay school.
And then the last thing that you also mentioned is, you know, demographics are shifting here at UC.
This university has really intentionally started to try to recruit from non traditional students. So online students, folks that are coming back for a second degree, a lot of intentional recruitment is being done with Cincinnati public schools. And CPS has a super high, you know, rate of free and reduced lunch, indicating, you know, higher need around food. So the students that are entering UCU just have increasingly diverse and different needs than we've seen before.
So that's just something we are constantly thinking about is how to, you know, get our resources in front of them as soon as possible when they get together campus. And how can we be better at supporting them, you know, through their whole academic journey here, and just be, you know, part of their success story to get to graduation?
[00:19:57] Speaker B: Yeah, no, that's so wonderfully and beautifully said.
And, yeah, I think, you know, part of this is also like, is some of the stigma being reduced with increased awareness of the programs.
[00:20:16] Speaker C: Yeah, that is something. Yeah, stigma is definitely a tough, a tough battle to fight, but that is something we're constantly sharing in our promotion is, you know, a big piece of stigma that I'll hear is, like, someone else needs it more than me, and, you know, we try to combat that. Bye. Sharing pictures of how full our shelves are and just letting people know that the more food that leaves, the more food we bring in, and it's here for that reason. So that's definitely a constant battle. But I think the more students are using it, the more their peers are seeing them use it, and the more it's just becoming a part of an open culture on campus.
[00:21:00] Speaker B: That's awesome. I know that we've touched on this a little bit, you know, in terms of changing demographics and a lot of the outreach that you see is doing to what we call non traditional students.
But what are some of the biggest barriers that students face when going to school and when accessing key basic needs programs?
[00:21:23] Speaker C: Yeah, I think that the. When it comes to going to school, what we were just saying with, you know, time and financial demand, having to work outside of class and just balance that. A lot of, you know, students are caregivers and have a lot going on in their personal lives. So it's just, you know, we don't. We no longer have a student body that is just coming to college, going to class, and then working on homework at night. It's just a much more diverse experience now. And so with that, I think when accessing resources to support them, the biggest barriers are time and knowing where to go.
I think here at UC, we have so many amazing resources, but because of that, there may be some confusion in who provides what and how to get there and where it is.
Just, for example, the student wellness center, you know, that is a place where people go thinking we are located in that space, which makes sense on paper, you know, food, wellness, but just things like that. So we have to be really intentional with our partners to make sure that we all know what's going on with each office and know how to connect students and get them to the right place and then time.
Like I said, constantly just trying to reduce barriers.
Even though the pantry is only like a five minute walk to our student center, we get feedback that it seems like it way further away. So just trying to really keep in mind that students are leaving campus, coming to campus from jobs, from home, from all these other responsibilities. So how can we make it as convenient and easy as possible.
And part of that, part of being able to be convenient is obviously having like, the staffing, the resources, the infrastructure in place to be in front of people more often in an accessible way.
[00:23:36] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. I think you raise a really great point about how the basic needs programs and the folks that run them cannot be siloed. All of, you know, the university staff and professors need to know that these resources are available in order to point students in the right direction.
The hardest piece. That's a great point.
[00:24:03] Speaker C: Yeah. And that is something that is nothing unique to you. See, like, in those spaces that I'm in that you mentioned at the beginning of the call with, you know, swipe out hunger and the big twelve, we are always all talking about how to be, you know, in front of folks, getting the name, getting it embedded in, you know, the university infrastructure.
And that's a challenge. I think we've started by really trying to focus on people and offices that are interfacing with students a lot. So advisors is an example where they are having those more personal conversations with students and, you know, digging into why are they not failing or why are they not passing this class or, you know, what's your schedule look like for next semester? And just trying to make sure that those key partners know about us and then building from there.
[00:24:59] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely.
I know that we touched on this question already a little bit, but how do students needs differ based on demographic and situation?
I'm curious, for example, could you share a little bit about the complexities and needs of students living on campus versus commuter students?
What about the needs of international students versus those who are from the US?
Or even undergraduate versus graduate students? I'm curious to hear, like, what the differences are when meeting their needs.
[00:25:38] Speaker C: Yeah, definitely. Yeah. We know that no two student experiences are the same and experiencing insecurity can really look so different for so many individuals.
And at the beginning you mentioned the statistics about how it impacts our marginalized communities at a lot higher rates. So that's something we're very conscious of when doing programming and outreach and trying to be, you know, even more visible for different groups of students and provide different types of support. But yeah, as you said, the different groups that you mentioned, it looks different for everyone on campus versus commuter. You know, on campus there's a.
They are required to have a meal plan and everyone thinks that that means it's an unlimited meal plan, at least here at UC, and that's not the case. We know students are using the lowest meal plan possible and supplementing it with the BCP offering. So.
And then as soon as they move off campus, that just looks completely different and you have the factor of cooking for yourself for the first time and all of those different elements. And then commuters, that's another interesting way to think about it because a lot of those food insecure students are coming from food insecure households that they may have grown up in or are doing that primary caregiving that we talked about. So a lot of our commuter students are trying to support and provide for more than just themselves, which is where a lot of that added pressure comes from.
And then international students, like I said, we do serve a lot of international students, and that's a really, really difficult situation because I think, at least from my conversations, a lot of the students come to the US thinking they'll be able to help provide for themselves by working. But visa restrictions only allow them to work on campus. And here at UC, we don't have enough campus jobs to meet that demand. So I've talked to a lot of our international students who, you know, are just falling short in the budget because they thought they'd be able to fill that gap for themselves. And it's just nothing. Those positions just aren't available. And then the other complicated factor is not being able to use, you know, Snap benefits or other social services support because of that visa status. So that always feels like a difficult situation is how to, you know, what can we refer to these, these students to where they are able to actually use the resource and not have to face a bunch of, you know, really scary legal barriers.
Yeah. That they're going to want to avoid. And then undergrad and graduate students is probably the big thing is that stipend component. A lot of our grad students are on a fixed stipend and can't have other jobs. And that fixed stipend is often really low compared to the cost of living.
And then undergrads, a lot of them do have multiple jobs, and that just is part of that pressure. But, you know, no matter what situation or background the student is, in, one way that we think about it is, you know, when they're getting their income and making decisions on how to spend their money, food is always going to be at the bottom, like housing, transportation bills, all of that comes before food. And so if we can just be a piece of, you know, taking the food component off of their shoulders so they can focus their budget elsewhere, that's our goal because that's obviously such a critical part of being a healthy, thriving student.
[00:29:44] Speaker B: Yeah. Which is not dissimilar to, you know, what folks just within the community are facing right outside of campus.
And so I'm glad that you made that point that, you know, most of the time when folks are in a pinch, they're going to focus on their housing, utilities, those fixed expenses before they even think about food. And, you know, that's where critical nutrition programs and organizations come in to help out. So how has UC tried to address these barriers and differing needs so that students remain enrolled and graduate? I know that in an event that we were with you, you specifically talked about international students and making sure that you're having culturally appropriate foods in the bear cat pantry, but I'm curious to hear a little bit more about that. And, you know, the other demographics that you're, you're serving.
[00:30:47] Speaker C: Yeah, definitely. Yeah. We try through ongoing feedback and like a end of year survey, we try really hard to understand, you know, what products and food and any other support would be most helpful for our students.
Yes. Sourcing is a tricky game because we are restricted by budget.
Everything we do is donor funded. It's completely from fundraising that the UC foundation does. So we do have a budget because of that, but we mainly get our food from the free store, food bank and then some other partners. So that's why programs like the garden are really helpful when it comes to meeting those requests that students have.
And then, yeah, sourcing culturally relevant food whenever we can, really trying to focus our hygiene and household items on higher priced items to help offset the budget. So, like laundry detergents, a big one that's super popular because that can be really expensive to purchase in the store.
So that's like our sourcing strategy. I think the other piece is working with those faculty and staff and other partners to really get it embedded in the culture of the university.
We just try to be as present as possible. So anytime that comes up in conversations, they know where to send the students. And I think a big part that has helped kind of frame the work we do is our care team, crisis case management, because that is where I, I would say, like majority of our faculty and staff know about the care report system. So they will send in concerns about a student through that portal. And that really helps us, you know, connect to students in a wraparound service type of way when they get put on our radar. So it's definitely an ongoing balance of meeting the needs, getting the basics in, getting the word out, you know, constantly the logistics of all of it. But that's also the fun part.
[00:33:10] Speaker B: Yeah, and I'm sure like the satellite pantries and the to go format, too, is probably pretty helpful, you know, when trying to meet, like, finite amount of, like, staff time you can devote to some of this. And so, you know, having those different is good for students who may need to be, you know, going to the pantry a little bit later in the day or at different hours.
As a provider, what, and a pantry coordinator, what has been your biggest challenges with running these programs?
[00:33:53] Speaker C: Yeah, that's the perfect segue question because it's a large part of it is exactly what you just said with capacity.
A big part is definitely our pantry and most other ones that I talk to are donor funded. So constantly working within that context can provide a different type of pressure. Luckily, our UC donors have been really generous, so we aren't, you know, constantly having to penny pinch or anything. But it is something that we're navigating on an ongoing basis. And then with that is the staffing and logistics. I just think, you know, the pantry itself is operated like a grocery store. So when you think of the logistics that go into a grocery store, of ordering, stocking, you know, replenishing, just doing all of that ongoing upkeep that is really driven by our student staff and then anything supplemental, it's really a balance of staff time and capacity. Like we, we know that we could be more impactful by tabling more often and speaking at every event that we can. And it's just really difficult with the number of great opportunities there are for that, but the limited capacity. So that's something we're constantly navigating and then with getting the word out in general, you know, students just have overload when it comes to emails and social media and everything. So within those restraints of staffing and time, how can we also just get the word out in the most efficient way? But we're still connecting with students and, you know, having that impact.
[00:35:46] Speaker B: Yeah. Again, not dissimilar to what pantries are experiencing as well. That's really helpful to know. And I know we'll talk a little bit later, but I think definitely some state investment in some of these programs would be really helpful with addressing some of those challenges. I wanted to take a little bit of a pivot, but still obviously very related.
I wanted to talk a little bit about SNAP in particular and maybe a little bit more about the work that your care team does and benefit outreach. We know that SNAP is the most effective hunger relief program we have in this country, with SNAP serving nine meals to every one meal food banks can provide.
We know that Snap uptake among income eligible college students is also quite low with the US Government Accountability Office finding in 2016 by almost 2 million college students who are potentially eligible for snaps that they are not enrolled in the program.
What is the SNAp and nutrition programs in general among college students on UC's campus?
[00:37:00] Speaker C: Yeah, I think a lot of it is probably similar to what's happening, you know, in our community communities off campus where students have heard a reputation of it being a super tedious process and just something that they think they'll ultimately get denied for. When I've helped students navigate it, there's just so many questions around income, eligibility and, you know, does my scholarship count as income? You know, I live in the house with five roommates and there's just, you know, what about your FAFSA package? Like, there's just so many components that go into financing and education that I think answering those questions within this like super tedious application process is just a huge barrier for students. And I've talked to different folks who've said like, you know, I was on it and then I got kicked off it and then I started a summer internship and was getting paid more. So the recertification and so there's just a lot of ebb and flow in a student's life at this time. It's very uncertain, it's very dynamic and it's always changing the guidelines of how to manage that and what that process looks like are just so unclear that it's enough to discourage students from applying.
[00:38:24] Speaker B: It is totally understandable, you know, when I, especially when students are enrolled in the program finally and then get kicked off because they're just over income, I think that, that, you know, also puts a sour taste in folks mouth, you know, about the program and I know that you and our team and everyone else working in this space is trying to kind of address those concerns and frankly make the programs better. But you know, it's hard to get past that stigma sometimes.
[00:38:59] Speaker C: Yeah, definitely. Yeah. And it's just as a practitioner, you know, you want to have definite answers for students to help make it seem less scary. And it's just so hard to know, you know, the right guidance without being a complete like snap enrollment professional. I think like another example is students that go on co op out of state over the summer and then come back state to state, out of state students. Do they apply here or at home? Just all of those dynamics.
[00:39:33] Speaker B: It's a lot, a lot of complexity for sure. Are students able to utilize their SNaP benefits on campus anywhere? I know that you have some other initiatives that are kind of similar to that. You can kind of wrap into this question as well, if you would like.
[00:39:49] Speaker C: Yeah, so we, with those like social services conversations that I mentioned, we try to embed kind of like a pre screening for SNap in there where if we hear a student talking about, you know, maybe their income and if they are independent or dependent tax wise, and, you know, all of those factors will help a student think through if they may be snap eligible. And then the other, like I'd say most impactful component of that is a couple partnerships with different community based organizations that also do a lot of SNAP enrollment, one of them being the Freestore food banks connection center. We have worked with the free store folks and have received tips from them on like the best way to get plugged in, the best time of day to call just that kind of stuff. So we will share those resources with students, encourage them to connect into the system that way. And then I think another helpful piece is trying to just demystify and explain the process of applying the type of questions they'll ask, the interview process and what to expect. I think just laying it out from a human to human perspective helps students feel a little like it's not as intimidating.
And one piece of this work that I really enjoy is we have a bachelor as a social work student that interns up with us for a year every fall and spring. And so that student is a huge part of this work. And on my board, behind me just today I was writing that I want our incoming intern to put together a kind of assessment tool where we can embed those questions in a more systematic way to our conversation. So having that student perspective is also really helpful. Cause they are a student, they know what their peers are like, so they'll be able to help design those resources in a way that actually makes sense and that students will connect with. From the best of my knowledge, we do not accept EBT on campus and that is something I know other schools have worked on. So it's one of the bigger longer term goals that we would love, love to work on here at UC.
[00:42:20] Speaker B: That's amazing. Yeah, you all are doing so much and there's so many other avenues that you can go down and I'm sure there you have quite a few dream board ideas as we all. And I think too, like your meal donation swipe program is helpful with that as well. You know, if they can't use snap on, on campus, there are a couple other avenues that they can take, you know, to access food on campus. Outside of the pantry.
[00:42:54] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. That. That's like, the great use of the meal swipe program is that it's a, you know, all based on their student id, and it's all an online application, so it's super easy to plug them in, and then they can get hot meals on campus in the dining halls. So that's definitely part of our, if we don't think you're eligible and we want to give you more support, that's part of our, you know, backup plan and what we can offer to the students.
[00:43:23] Speaker B: All right, well, I want to talk a little bit about state investment in some of these programs, kind of opportunities to expand on and maybe institute some of those dream board ideas like we talked about.
So I know we will talk with Representative Brennan and learn about his hunger free campus bill during this episode.
I'm curious to know from someone who's actually doing the work on the ground at campuses how well state investment in food pantries and basic needs programs on campus address some of the challenges and where are there more opportunities to improve, especially in terms of eliminating stigma?
[00:44:11] Speaker C: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I'm super excited about the hunger free campus bill, and I'm really happy to be a part of this work because I think it has two really important use cases or components for campus food pantries. The first is obviously the funding. Like I said, not only us, but probably like 98% of the other college pantries that I've talked to are all donor and grant funded. So having that grant program is a huge benefit, especially because it's, you know, designed for this population and, you know, knowing type of restraints that we have on us and, you know, the kind of applicant grant applications we can put together and all that kind of stuff. I think it's a, really has some great potential to be helpful for resource centers across the state. You know, no matter how established they are, what their resources look like, that kind of funding can go a really long way. And then I think the other piece is really just state recognition is just so helpful in elevating our platform and bringing awareness to this issue.
I think college student food insecurity has been overlooked for a really long time because there's this perception that if you can afford college, you can afford, you know, everything else that you need.
And, you know, we hear there's a lot of, like, dialogues that are dominant in different generations that do imply food insecurity, like, you know, only eating ramen while they're in college or living on potatoes for a semester. It's, it's things like that where there's beliefs that this is struggle is inherent in the college experience, which is just not a healthy, true way to think about being a thriving college student. So by having this state program in recognition, it will really help us talk more about this issue and bring awareness to it. And then both the increased awareness and the increased funding can help provide those more robust services on campus and just increase our capacity to get in front of students.
[00:46:38] Speaker B: So wonderfully said.
And, you know, in order to do this work, you know, we have to be working in coalition.
And I know that you also understand that, you know, a lot of this work has to be student led as well.
And I know that you're such an advocate in your own right and can share so powerfully the experience of college students experiencing basic needs and security on campus. But it is really critical that we lift up the voices of students who are actually experiencing this day to day. I also think that this generation of college students are some of the most thoughtful, passionate and fearless grassroots advocates.
I know that you have a lot of experience in this area with your work with swipe out hunger on their leadership council and through our hunger free campus work. So how have you encouraged students to become advocates and use their voice for this issue, both at UC and beyond?
[00:47:45] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, we could not do anything that we do without our students.
I mean, first and foremost is our student staff. We have about ten students that help run these resources, and they are the true boots on the ground folks that are implementing this kind of work and just having their energy, their passion, their perspective is invaluable to making sure that we're being as impactful as we can.
And then also we have a lot of academic interns and that I just love because it just shows the connection of, you know, different disciplines and how no matter what you're studying and what you're focusing on, it can still contribute to this, you know, bigger issue and finding the solution. So we have social work interns, we have those, the horticulture interns at the garden, pre med. We have a fourth year medical student intern. We've had public health work with us. Just a ton of different people that are involved and concerned about college student hunger. The other way we really engage is our ambassador and volunteer program where we get students reaching out, wanting to support the work, and, you know, bringing them in and having them physically be in our space really helps educate and show, you know, what this looks like on a day to day basis and just help students feel empowered to have those conversations and then I think the other thing is just ongoing conversations with student groups, classrooms, speaking events. We are always getting asked to come and share our perspective. And I just. I think as much human to human conversation that we can have around these issues is really important. And from those spaces, we get so many students that just want to get involved and help out in different ways. So, yeah, it's really rewarding. It's definitely, in a way, a privilege to be doing this work on a campus because of all that student energy and what you were saying, being motivated and compassionate. It's a great group of people to be around working on this issue.
[00:50:08] Speaker B: That's amazing. It sounds like there's so much energy, but I understand that this work can be difficult, too. So I wanted to see what keeps you motivated to do this work. And if you have any other thoughts that you wanted to share with the.
[00:50:22] Speaker C: Audience, it's just motivating to be in this work when you're working directly with the people that you're impacting, the stories that I hear, you know, the feedback we get, the people saying, thank you for doing this, for providing for us. It's just, you can't ignore that feeling when you're getting that direct, face to face feedback.
Like one example for our family first program with diapers and wipes, we had a end of year spring fling event in April. So all the students brought their little kids, and all the kids were playing, and it was just like this most beautiful community event where all of these crossovers were happening. And you just got to see how important it is that these people are receiving the support we provide and how much it means to them. So that is definitely what keeps me motivated. And then also just our partners, non student partners.
So many people show up and show out for us to get things done.
We, you know, our facilities and moving team are the ones that do our weekly food bank pickups. We have our student affairs marketing team that's constantly doing promotion for us. There's just people really take this work to heart and want to be a part of something good. So that is super motivating to be the one leading all of that on campus.
[00:51:52] Speaker B: That's awesome. What a great way to end.
I just wanted to ask you one final question.
Is there a way that the listeners can follow the Bearcat Pantry and Resource center?
[00:52:05] Speaker C: Yes. We love Instagram, so that's the best way. It's just aircats pantry, and then our website is uc.edu bcp. So that's another way to stay up to date.
[00:52:21] Speaker B: Awesome. Thank you so much, joy.
[00:52:24] Speaker C: Thank you. I had such a great time.
[00:52:33] Speaker A: Thanks for taking the time to join us today. Rep. Brennan it's so good to have you here. I am so looking forward to talking about college student hunger with you. I know it's an issue that you care really deeply about. So for our listeners, Representative Shawn P. Brennan is the state representative for Ohio's 14th house district. He has been a public servant for decades, serving as a public school teacher, parma councilman, and now as a state representative. He has served his community in countless other ways through serving on boards, supporting charitable causes, cares deeply about and participating in his church community. It has been great to get to know you. Rep. Brennan, through our work on the hunger free campus bill. And I'm so excited to give the listeners a glimpse of how this amazing bill came to be. So please feel free to introduce yourself to the listeners and share why you got into public service.
Is there anything I have missed?
[00:53:36] Speaker D: No. Thanks, Sarah. I really appreciate. It's an honor to be here.
It's an honor to introduce and support this bill.
A little bit about myself. I am Sean Brennan. I represent Ohio's 14th district, which includes Parma, Parma Heights and West park, which is a neighborhood in the west side of Cleveland.
I was a public school teacher for 30 years, which I think you just mentioned. And, you know, a big reason why I wanted to teach teaching, and I was just talking to a friend about this yesterday, was because, you know, when I was a kid, my dad left. You've heard this story before, left. And my mom lost the house and things were pretty bad for a while.
My mom worked hard at may company and as a bartender at night to keep food on the table and a roof over our head.
And I carried that with me my entire life. And so when I was a student at the University of Dayton. Go flyers for the listeners. Sarah's a fellow flyer as well.
[00:54:39] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:54:40] Speaker D: I didn't really know what I wanted to do, quite frankly, until I met Dina, who now is my wife of 30 years, and she was an education major. And when I saw what she was doing, I thought, gosh, you know, I'd really love to be there for kids that are going through tough times like I was. Cause I had a teacher in 6th grade who really took an interest in me. I think he knew what was going on at home, knew that I was going through a tough time.
And my grades in his class, really, I got an a in math. My other grades were kind of okay, but I just kind of went out of my way to show him that I appreciated what he did for me, just always boosted me up in that.
And I thought, gosh, I love history, I love economics and all the social studies. I could teach what I love, and I really care about kids. And I'm looking back now at my 30 year career, and I know I picked the right career, and I just. I always wanted to be there for that kid who was going through tough times. I always shared my story with my students at a certain point in the semester where they. Where we started to click, you know, and, you know, so many kids over the years came up after I shared my story and would continue to share it and tell me how much they appreciated that and how they're going through similar things.
In fact, strangely enough, just about a week and a half ago, I had a student from the district who called me.
I had given a speech at Greenbrier middle School in Parma, and I shared with the young people that what I went through as a child and how hard it was. But despite all that, I just kept plugging away, working hard, setting goals for myself, and now I'm a state representative. I would have never guessed that when I was living in the trailer park and things were really, really difficult.
And so this young man called my office, and every now and then on a Saturday, I'll go through my email and listen to messages. And so I listened to his message, and he said in his voicemail, Mister Brennan, your speech really touched me when you gave it at school that day. And he said, I could relate to everything except the part about your mom losing the house and sorry. He said, but now I can relate to that because we're about to be evicted from our house because his mom was pregnant and had a really tough pregnancy. Despite working a couple jobs, she had a hard time paying the rent and fell back on her rent and went through the eviction process. And this past Saturday was evicted. So I was reaching out to every agency and person I know in Cuyahoga county, trying to find them some kind of help. Because, you know, when I called him, he said, would you talk to my mom? And I said, absolutely. And she got on the phone and she was really embarrassed. She's like, I'm really embarrassed that he called you, but I'm really touched that my son called you.
[00:57:39] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:57:40] Speaker D: And so I said, don't be embarrassed. You know, I don't know what it's like from your perspective as a single mom, but I know what it's like as the son of a single mom going through tough times and I'll do everything I can to try to get you what you need, because, you know, she told me all about how she had been out of work because of the pregnancy that went really. It was a tough one, and the baby was born prematurely, and then she had to have an operation afterward, and, I mean, it was just a nightmare. So now she and the baby have to go live with one member of the family. The boy that called me has to go live with his dad, and the daughter has to go live with a friend. So this family is totally split up. And, you know, not only are they homeless now, but, you know, food insecurity is an issue for them as well. So. I know that's a long story, but, you know, this is why I got into public service, because I know what it's like to go through tough times, and I carried that with me in the classroom, and I carried that with me in the halls of the state house now, as well, which is, again, why it's just such an honor and very, very humbling beyond words to support this bill, and I'm really praying that we'll be able to get it across the finish line. Yeah, but we're gonna need all the listeners help to get that done.
[00:58:57] Speaker A: Absolutely. Yeah, we'll definitely get into that. But I think that's such a testament to your public service, and I'm sure it's very gratifying to be the one that people can lean on now.
[00:59:09] Speaker D: Yeah, it's a big cross to bear, you know, I mean, I also served on Parma city council, and again, being a teacher, you know, a lot of kids come to you and they're going through tough times. You know, I've had many residents over the years call, and now at the state house, they call me. And, yeah, I tell people all the time, I wish I was a billionaire, so I could just, like, buy that lady. Sorry, I can't buy that lady a house and, you know, make big donations to the Ohio food banks and solve a lot of these problems that we have in Ohio.
But now, as a state rep, you know, I can use that voice and amplify the voice of Ohioans and make a difference that way, and I'll continue to try to do as much as I can for folks.
[00:59:49] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. So you had mentioned this, that you're a UD flyer. It's something that we had bonded over when we first met.
I also know the Taco bell near UD's campus very well as well.
You had talked about that in your sponsor testimony.
Tell us a little bit about your time at the University of Dayton. What was your favorite part of college? And did you have a favorite meal on campus?
[01:00:17] Speaker D: Oh, boy, that was a long time ago, Sarah. I was there from 1988 to 1992. Gosh, it's been, what, 30 years? I think my time at the University of Dayton were some of the best years of my life. I met one day, my future wife was walking out of the education building, and we sat down on our park bench, as we call it, right next to the art building. And I knew in that very first conversation that she was the woman that I wanted to marry. I mean, I was just so blessed to meet her. And we just celebrated 30 years of marriage on July 9.
[01:00:51] Speaker A: Oh, wow. Congrats.
[01:00:52] Speaker D: So she's given me at least another five years. She said, this job's a lot.
[01:00:59] Speaker C: I'm not home a lot.
[01:01:01] Speaker D: And although jokingly we say being away two or three days a week in Columbus is good for a marriage, it actually is probably the most challenging part of the job. I love my wife and family very much, but they support me, and they know that I'm doing this because I care about people as well.
That helps us get through me being away from home.
My favorite meal at Ud.
Gosh, that's a tough one. I mean, I did go to Taco Bell a lot. As I recall, it was three tacos for a buck. So for a poor college student who, as I might have said in my sponsor testimony for this bill, I know I said it for one of the bills. I was the guy who would go to the bookstore, and I would take the book immediately to Kinko's, make a go to the back room, copy all the pages of the book hole, punch it all, put it in a binder, and take the book right back to the bookstore and return it, because I just didn't have a lot of money.
[01:01:59] Speaker A: Yeah, books are expensive.
[01:02:02] Speaker D: So the issue of food insecurity amongst college students has exacerbated over the years, and it's a problem that's often overd, overlooked, and maybe not even overlooked. Just, I don't think people realize it's a thing. Right.
But it's an urgent need, because just like with my students in the classroom, if they don't have food in their belly, if you don't have that basic need met, it's hard to really do anything else. Right. I mean, if I'm particularly today, we have so many what used to be called non traditional learners.
I think non traditional learners are becoming. I think there's a new tradition now right. I mean, it's not just young people going to school. It's single moms and dads in their late twenties and thirties trying to reskill to get a better job to provide for their families, because it's getting tougher every day. I do a lot of the cooking in my house, and I know the price of groceries, and I feel for people. I don't know how people do it.
Seniors are calling me because, you know, food prices are going up, their rents are going up, but their Social Security is not changing.
You know, up in my area, we just had a few tornadoes, and people on Snap and other public assistance programs have, in many cases, used their allotments. And so that's made the problem in my area particularly worse. But so, you know, the issue of food security is.
Is getting worse in our communities and not only the inner city, but now in our entering suburbs and on our college campuses. And again, I'm willing to do what I can to try to help solve the problem.
[01:03:50] Speaker A: You also went back to school for your master's degree at Cleveland State University.
How is your experience in graduate school different? We have seen data that graduate students are just as likely to experience food insecurity while obtaining their degree. Did you see that in your experience or in the experiences of your classmates during your time?
[01:04:13] Speaker D: Yeah, you know, University of Dayton, I was probably one of the poorer students on campus. I was a Pell grant student. And that's back. UD today is a pretty expensive school, and it was more than your average school back then, too, but not nearly as bad. The Pell grant and some other scholarships and working a side job and a summer job, I was able to actually get out of there with no debt.
But now that would be impossible there. And in many places, many schools around the state of Ohio. Cleveland state is a lot different. It's an urban school.
And so, you know, I fit in pretty good there because there were a lot of folks that were, you know, struggling financially. I worked a lot of jobs when I was at Cleveland state. I mean, I could list a lot of different jobs that I had, short term and long term, blockbuster video and selling video dishes at Sam's club and Paige at the Cuyahoga County Public Library structure at the Parma town mall. And, you know, just anything I could find to help with tuition and rent. I lived in the cheapest apartment you could live in, in Parma, and, you know, made parma my home because that's where Dina was from. And again, we've made our life there.
So, yeah, I mean, as a college student at Cleveland State, you really did see that. You know, back in, back in the nineties when I was there, the issue of food security insecurity is much worse today than it was back then.
And again, I think a lot of it is the fact that our traditional student is not that young single guy like me with no dependence.
It is that single mom or even in some cases, mom and dad, you know, or dads or moms who have jobs that often might not pay a whole lot and don't come with benefits and, you know, trying to keep that roof over their family and put food on the table with inflation where it is today. So again, if you don't have food in your belly, it's hard to reach your academic potential trying to have that mindset.
And I know what it's like. I mean, I can't ever say that I was, that I never had food. I don't know that I've ever been in a position where I was hungry and couldn't concentrate. But what I can relate to is when you're financially insecure, how that can be a big stressor.
[01:06:52] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. And we talk about this often that k through twelve kids, there's programs available to support them, you know, like the school lunch program, and there's initiatives to make universal free school meals in the state. But, you know, that doesn't, that food insecurity doesn't stop, you know, once you hit 18.
[01:07:16] Speaker D: Correct.
[01:07:16] Speaker A: And you're just as vulnerable to that in college as your really doing workforce training to take that next step and enter your career, right?
[01:07:29] Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely. In this bill, we're helping the individual.
But one of the arguments I made in sponsor testimony is not only does it help the individual, it helps the college campus.
Now you're going to have folks who don't be scrambling to pay bills and get food, they're going to have the time and the mental state to be more involved on campus, and it'll lead to a more positive campus atmosphere. They're going to get the skills they need to improve their lives, improve the lives of their children, provide better for their families, and provide more for the community. And so the entire community really benefits bills like this. Some, I would hope that no one would say this, but if there are naysayers out there that say, well, $2.5 million, this is a pork barrel project.
This is really an investment in people and in your community.
And I would bet that if there's a study done on it, it'll show that for every dollar we spend on this program, it pays many, many more dollars in the long run.
[01:08:37] Speaker A: Yeah. No, absolutely. Let's get into the bill a little bit.
So for the listeners, Rep. Brennan, along with Representative Dobos of the Columbus area, have introduced House Bill 590, a bill in the Ohio General assembly to establish a hunger free campus grant program to help establish or maintain basic needs programming on college campuses, like food pantries, campus swipe programs, and ongoing educational events about hunger and basic needs insecurity. Colleges will be able to apply for this funding and then eventually receive a hunger free campus designation. This designation would let prospective and current students know that the university takes college student hunger seriously with the hopes of reducing the stigma of seeking help in college. This bill is bipartisan and has had a very good response by many legislators. When Rep. Brennan and Rep. Dobos shared sponsor testimony in the House Finance committee in May.
When this bill was presented to you, you said yes without hesitation during our first meeting. Actually, on this bill together, you were very focused on how we could get this done.
You had shared more recently that this bill is one of your top priorities while in the General assembly this year. I was just curious, why did this bill speak to you? I know that you talked about that a little bit, and how was it in line with your priorities and why you ran for office?
[01:10:12] Speaker D: Yeah, I mean, everything I said already, really.
But again, I would kind of go back to, again, it's an investment, right?
The grants are going to go to people who are trying to improve their lives.
They want to work, they want to contribute to the community, but they just need that little leg up to help them get through the college experience, whether they're going for their BA or their master's degree or what have you.
I just think it's so important that we provide it, and I'm glad you mentioned it, is a bipartisan bill. You know, food insecurity is not a partisan issue. It's a bipartisan issue that we all have a responsibility to work together to try to solve in our state.
We have the means to do it, and if we work together, we can.
[01:11:09] Speaker A: Yeah. So, well said. I'm sure you have met with and listened to many students, professors, and university staff about this hunger free campus bill and the impact it would have. Is there anything you can share from those conversations? What has the response been from those who are directly impacted?
[01:11:29] Speaker D: Well, the response has been very, very positive. You know, again, it's very humbling.
I just can't thank folks enough for sharing their stories with me. I mean, these stories are heartbreaking.
And, you know, I'm looking forward to folks coming in once we get our next hearing on the bill for proponent testimony.
It's hurtful to hear the stories and it will be hurtful to hear folks get up to the microphone and share them with my colleagues.
And I guess I just want to say in advance to anyone who's willing to come to Columbus to do that. You know how much I appreciate that and just appreciate people being vulnerable.
But we are going to need people to come in and do proponent testimony for the bill. And if you can't make it to Columbus, you can always do written testimony, which is just as important. A lot of folks think, well, if I'm not there in person, it doesn't mean as much. It really does.
You know, if legislators see that there are, you know, many, many people that have, you know, come in to support a piece of legislation from all over the state of Ohio, that really, that really helps a lot. So I'd encourage anybody listening to not only reach out to your legislators, but, you know, consider coming in and sharing your story and either in person, Orlando, or doing written testimony. And I'm sure you'll explain to everybody how they can do that. But that's going to be the next step is getting that hearing. Once we have proponent testimony, the chairman will have opponent testimony. I can't imagine there's going to be anybody going to come in to speak against the bill again. It's kind of a no brainer. And then hopefully we'll be able to get it out of the House and over to the Senate where the process starts all over again. But you know, as you know, Sarah, we're going to be going through this era or this period called lame duck at the end of the year, November and December. So there's a chance that if we can build enough support for the bill, we could get it attached to another bill as a rider, as they call it. But there's a chance we might be able to expedite passage of the bill by doing some legislative maneuvering like that.
[01:13:49] Speaker A: Yeah, no, I appreciate you sharing the process because I think that folks, it's such a like opaque thing for them and I think I know a lot of people, I mean, me included before I started this was like, how do I even get involved? And, you know, testifying in front of a committee of legislators seems really intimidating. So. But I think it's important that legislators encourage that process.
[01:14:14] Speaker D: It is. And I would say to folks, you know, don't be intimidated. I mean, this is your government. Yeah, I taught government for 30 years. And so when I came here, I kind of hit the ground running. I think it's one of the reasons why I've passed a couple bills already, and I'm the new guy, and we don't pass a lot of bills around here, as we all know, in the room.
But, you know, we have little kids that come into the primary and secondary education committee and testify.
[01:14:39] Speaker A: That's amazing.
[01:14:40] Speaker D: I mean, I'm always so proud of them for coming in and again and being vulnerable, sharing their stories. And they know they're being, not only they meeting in front of all these legislators, but it's going to be on the Ohio channel as well.
[01:14:52] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:14:52] Speaker D: So, you know, it's so anybody can come in and do it. I mean, you have a right to do it. You don't have to be a high paid lobbyist, you know, to come and testify before a committee or meet with your legislators.
So, you know, and whether it's this bill or some other bill that you feel passionately about, either for or against, I really encourage you to get involved in the committee process.
[01:15:18] Speaker A: Yeah, no, absolutely. Going back to your point about stories, I know that my colleague hope shared this yesterday when we were in front of a group of statehouse staff.
We had just recently visited the University of Rio Grande down in the southernmost part of the state, and touring their pantry. They have ryo grab and go as their food pantry and talking to the coordinator of that program and about this bill, of course. And she had shared that, wow, that would be such a great grant program that she thought that they would be eligible for and would apply for if it was passed. And she had said, we had asked her, what's your most pressing need?
And she had shared, you know what? I just need a microwave so that my kids can actually use some of the microwavable food that I'm giving them. So it's like something as little as a microwave is really, you know, what our university is in the colleges need to support their students. So it was just something that I know that for hope and I will be, we'll carry with us for a while. And we were thinking, like, oh, my gosh, do we need to buy this woman a microwave? A microwave ourselves? But, yeah, it's just like, that is the smallest, you would think, the smallest need, but. And, you know, add on the fact that that's a community where their closest growers grocery store as a family dollar, which isn't even really a grocery store.
[01:16:52] Speaker D: You know, there's so many food deserts. I mean, even in my, I live in the 7th largest city of Ohio, Parma. You know, up in Cuyahoga county, we're the biggest suburb of Cleveland. And, you know, if you go over to the northwest side of town, you know, we have a lot of folks over there that are homebound and or don't own cars, and there's not a grocery store for several miles. And unfortunately, our public transportation system is not the greatest, really, anywhere in the state of Ohio, particularly up in Cuyahoga county, where I am. And that's no criticism of our public transportation folks out there.
It's something else we need to work on at the state house, is to expand public transportation. Because if you can't get to a grocery store and get good food for you and your family, that presents a whole host of other problems, right?
[01:17:37] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Most people experiencing food insecurity aren't just experiencing food insecurity, they're experiencing at least one or multiple other insecurities. So, yeah, it's all interconnected. I keep on telling people, and I.
[01:17:55] Speaker D: Just want to add something, and this might not be the right time for it. No, please. I just want to say thank you to Ohio food banks.
You don't have to do this.
You have so much to do already. And the fact that you've taken this on, I was thinking about this in my drive to Columbus today. The fact, and I'm going to tear up again, but the fact that you've taken this on and really understand the problem and put so much time and effort into this is very, very commendable.
Again, I think it's a problem a lot of folks don't understand or don't know is a problem in Ohio. And it just shows how committed you and all of your colleagues are to helping Ohioans in need. And I just want to say thank you to you and your staff and to all of our folks throughout the state of Ohio that help with food insecurity, from staff members to volunteers.
As I said in sponsored testimony, I mean, you're really doing God's work, and it is appreciated. And I'm just going to plug to the audience, if you have the means, please consider making a donation to Ohio food banks or your local food bank.
I used to do a lot of food drives in my classroom, and I got to the point where the kids would bring in all these crazy things like cans of olives and mushrooms.
And I, and I said to the kids, look, I said, is that what you eat? You know? So I got to the point where I said, well, let's. Let's let's make cash donations as opposed to in kind donations. And I. In fact, I was just explaining this to a resident the other day as well, that, you know, food banks can get a lot more bang for the buck with cash donations than they can with your.
With your in kind donations. And not only that, some in kind donations are often, in my experience, expired, which is another problem. But if you make a donation, I mean, I don't think. You probably know the statistics off the top of your head, but you make a dollar 50 donation to your food bank, it's like making a dollar 200 donation, because you guys can buy three or four times the amount of food than we can at the grocery store.
[01:20:17] Speaker A: As individual citizens, it's really clear how important addressing the issues of food insecurity and poverty are to you and to everyone in this room. Really. I was just curious, as we continue to work on addressing college student hunger, but just hunger and food insecurity more broadly. Poverty more broadly.
You know, what can the Ohio legislature do to address these issues, especially for college students? Where do you see opportunities to kind of expand this work in the future?
[01:20:51] Speaker D: Right. Yeah. So when we were developing the legislation, putting the finishing touches on it, it was just such a pleasure to work with you and hope on this. And I think it's the perfect piece of legislation.
The hardest part was coming up with, how much should we start with? What should be the first ask? And we started a little low, and we thought, I mean, you want to shoot for the moon? But the state only has so much money, and it is the first time we're doing it. So we settled on the $2.5 million for 2025.
But like we talked about before, the hope is that once we prove the impact that the program has, and we're going to know that because the chancellor of education is going to prepare a report on the Hunger free grant program. Within two years of the program's establishment, we'll be able to prove that it's a good investment in our young and adult learners in Ohio. Is that in the future that allotment will be even higher than 2.5 million, because we know the need is much greater than that we've got. I think Ohio has, if not more.
As far as the number of institutions of higher learning, there's a lot of them. And $2.5 million is going to be spread pretty thinly because I'm sure there's going to be. I know, and I'm not sure I know there's going to be a big interest in college universities applying for this. So again, once we prove the need and how well the program works, I think that's going to sell the program to my colleagues that we need to allot even more dollars to it.
[01:22:37] Speaker A: Yeah. I would love if you could share a little bit more about why the state should be investing in this sort of program and why is it in the best interest of the state to.
[01:22:51] Speaker D: Well, I mean, at the end of the day, I mean, a high tide lists all boats, right? I mean, if we, if we have an educated workforce, there's just so many benefits. I don't even know where to begin. Right. I mean, that, that means the government, that means less government assistance to folks because they're going to be self sufficient, which, which is what most people want. I mean, most people don't like my mind. My mom didn't want food stamps.
She probably got them on them too late and probably got off too early because she was a very proud woman. But if we're able to provide these benefits to folks in college, again, whether it's undergrad or graduate work that they're doing, they're going to be able to get out of college, get that good job, become self sufficient, provide for their kids, that means less that the government's going to have to provide to them in the long run.
And that boosts our local economies. It boosts our state economy. That means more tax revenue and jobs for even more people. And it's just a positive, vicious cycle. I think so. I really think, again, it's an investment in our people and it's an investment in our workforce, an investment in the overall strength and growth of, of Ohio's economy.
[01:24:05] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. And I think especially for me, when I was back in college and looking for my next step, I think a lot of my friends and I maybe would have stayed in Ohio more if there were supports available. So I think that's also like addressing some of the brain drain that happens.
[01:24:27] Speaker D: That's a great point. I have a son and daughter, and if you're a parent like myself, your biggest fear are your kids moving far away.
And so that is, that's been one of my priorities at the state house as well, is just trying to find as many ways as we can to attract and retain our young people here in Ohio.
So you make an excellent point. I mean, this is just one. We could become a leader. You know, we could gain a reputation as a state that, you know, in our colleges, universities, you know, we have hunger free campuses and become famous for that in Ohio and hopefully become a role model for the rest of the country.
[01:25:04] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. Well, it has been so great to talk with you today about this issue.
I was wondering if there's anything else that you wanted to share and maybe even share, you know, where your constituents can find you on Instagram or.
[01:25:21] Speaker D: Yeah, I post a lot on Facebook and on X.
My daughter wants me to get on Instagram and some of the other social media things. But one of the things about this job is you go in so many different directions. You only have so much time.
So in my priority are things like this. You know, I could spend a lot of time on social media or I could spend a lot of time working on House Bill 590.
So you have to try to kind of try to find that balance. Right. But you can find me on social media at Brennan for Ohio.
So, you know, feel free to look me up there. But it's an honor to serve. You know, it really is the biggest honor of my life, next to being married to a great woman, having two great kids. That is. I always have to say that, you know, you don't go into teaching because you want to be a millionaire or you're gunning for the next position. You do it because you care about people.
And that's my mindset at the state House as well.
I get very emotional every day, just like I have today.
Because when I have meetings with folks like you, when I'm in committee, when I'm voting on the bills that we vote on at the state house, the faces of my constituents are in mind all the time. And I believe in my heart that I'm doing this for the right reasons, because I care about people.
If there's anything else, any other reason why I'm serving, I don't know consciously what that is. I'm no psychologist. Maybe it is I have a big ego or something. I don't know. But consciously I know I'm doing it because I really care about people. I don't care if they voted for me or not.
Unfortunately, in today's world, we've become very jaded about government.
Just like in the classroom, I tried to be a good role model and the adult in the room at all times for both my colleagues in the state house and for my constituents because I'm very concerned about the incivility in our politics today.
And it's not the future that I want for me or for my kids or my grandkids.
And so I'm just doing what little I can to try to be a role model and set a new tone and get us back on track. I guess my other message to those that are listening today is expect more from your elected officials. You know, when you meet with them and talk to them, you know, demand that they act like adults and be good role models for each other and for our young people, because that's, you know, I always say that we are Ohioans and Americans before we're Democrats and Republicans, and we have to always remember that. So thanks, Sarah. It was really an honor to be.
[01:28:19] Speaker A: Here with you today.
You as well. Thank you. I think we're really excited and eager to see how this work transpires and continues. And, you know, we know and you know that Ohio can and should invest in their students so that they're able to be the future workforce of tomorrow. So thank you for your part in this work.
[01:28:40] Speaker D: Absolutely.
[01:28:49] Speaker A: I hope you all enjoyed my conversations with joy and Representative Brennan. I want to thank our guests for taking the time to share their expertise with us and for being such great partners in this work. To learn more about them and the work that's being done here in Ohio, please take a look at the show notes. There you will find our hunger free campus action center where you can get involved yourself. Thanks for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.
[01:29:17] Speaker B: It.
