College Hunger: Key Takeaways from the Gen Z Food and Hunger Summit
A word from Shipt
So many in our country experience food insecurity and hunger – college students and other young people are no exception. Economic inflation and higher costs worsen the issue, particularly for low-income, minority, first-generation, and non-traditional students. Shipt is committed to helping reduce hunger by supporting grassroots and community-based organizations fighting this issue nationwide.
Recently, the Shipt team traveled to Washington D.C. to attend the Gen Z Food and Hunger Summit, hosted by The Congressional Hunger Center and Food Systems Collaborative. As a sponsor of the Summit, seeing the students’ drive to fight and address hunger on their college campuses and within their communities was truly inspiring. Shipt’s Communications and Public Affairs Intern, Ally, joined us at the summit and accompanied summit attendees to advocate on Capitol Hill for students experiencing hunger across the country. Keep reading to learn Ally’s takeaways and the tips Shipt Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer Molly shared with students.
Key Takeaways from Ally, Shipt Communications and Public Affairs Intern
As the public affairs intern with Shipt, last week I attended the Gen Z Food and Hunger Summit in Washington, D.C. – an amazing event hosted by the Congressional Hunger Center and Food Systems Collaborative and sponsored by Shipt. Hearing Molly Snyder, Shipt’s chief communications and public affairs officer, speak about hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. was profoundly impactful. Molly’s session, Advocating Outside the Box: Making an Impact with Innovation and Collaboration, reinforced Shipt’s commitment to innovatively combating these issues through various partnerships and programs.
As a Gen Zer and recent graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, I’ve seen firsthand how challenging it can be for students to access healthy meals. My friends and I often saw buying $100 worth of groceries as a luxury rather than a necessity, leading us to make unhealthy choices regarding food because it was cheaper and more convenient.
Hunger and food insecurity affect more than 26.5 million Americans, including many college students who often struggle due to limited money, social stigma, and transportation issues. Our generation is twice as likely to face hunger as Millenials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers.
Day one of the summit was filled with sessions like “An Overview of Hunger and Food Insecurity in 2024” and “Congressional Advocacy 101,” designed to prepare student advocates for their day on The Hilll with lawmakers. Students heard from notable speakers including Shannon Maynard, Executive Director of the Congressional Hunger Center, and Niyeti Shah, Founder of the Food Systems Collaborative. These sessions equipped students with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively advocate for policy changes to combat hunger. We learned so much valuable information, and below are my key takeaways:
Five Takeaways from the Gen Z Hunger Summit:
Collaboration is Key: Tackling hunger requires united efforts. During her session, Molly emphasized that no single group can end hunger alone. "We collaborate, we innovate, and we advocate," she said, highlighting the strength of partnerships. These sentiments were repeated throughout the day by various speakers, underscoring the importance of working together to create lasting change.
Student Involvement is Crucial: Students can significantly reduce hunger on campus and in their communities. Whether volunteering at food pantries or advocating for policy changes, student engagement is essential. "... speak up for what you need, ask for what you believe in, and do it over and over and over again," Molly said.
Creative Solutions Make a Difference: Innovative approaches, like Shipt’s partnership with Swipe Out Hunger, provide practical solutions to help students facing food insecurity. Shipt’s collaboration with Swipe Out Hunger allowed campus food pantries to receive donated Shipt credits and memberships, keeping them stocked throughout the year. This initiative helps address immediate food needs, raise awareness and drive community engagement to combat hunger.
Public Advocacy is Powerful: Engaging with lawmakers and participating in major events helps drive policy changes that expand food access and reduce hunger. "The federal government plays a huge role, and the decisions made there can either help or harm, very quickly, given the magnitude of that contribution,” Shannon said. Niyeti added, "We cannot solve global hunger without public policy... It’s going to take all of us to work on these issues."
Personal Stories Highlight the Impact: Hearing stories like Toni’s, a Michigan resident with Type-2 diabetes, who struggled to afford food due to a rent increase, shows that these are real people and not just statistics. Access to healthy food options and grocery delivery through Shipt’s partnership with Michigan’s Healthy Eating Jumpstart program supporting food-insecure low-income patients greatly benefited Toni and helped improve her quality of life. College students can benefit from greater access to healthy food as well. Those experiencing hunger are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases and have difficulty focusing on daily tasks — making it harder to stay employed, focus on school work, or get ahead. Sharing real-life stories of how hunger impacts so many people makes all the difference. “You know, like we said earlier, the stats are important. You need to know that, but you're going to walk away from today maybe carrying, like, two stats, but hopefully, a whole bunch of stories,” Molly said.
On day two of the Hunger Summit, we had the opportunity to meet with legislative aides to advocate for legislation that addresses college hunger. Advocacy and meetings with lawmakers are crucial because they help raise awareness about food insecurity and influence policy changes that can provide much-needed support to affected students. Some of these meetings took place in hallways, which reminded me of Molly’s advice: "Be bold but be brief. Their time is really limited... You will probably have a meeting in a hallway, in a staircase, or maybe even in an elevator. Be really prepared to just be on your toes with a compelling story."
Attending the Gen Z Hunger Summit, I saw how important it is for all of us to get involved, whether by volunteering, supporting local food banks, or advocating for change. Every effort counts in the fight against hunger, and we must all work together to solve this issue.
Want to learn more about Shipt’s efforts to address food insecurity? Click the links below!
Shipt’s Commitments at the White House Conference on Hunger Nutrition and Health
Shipt Accepts SNAP EBT Payments, Helping Increase Food Access to Almost 74% of Food Deserts*
Shipt Helped Provide Over 500,000 Meals during Hunger Action Month®
Shipt Announces Launch of New Local Accelerator Program, LadderUp™, to Boost Small Businesses