A quick shout-out to Symposium organizers, Kim Shorter & Josh Ruppel – together with Jim Shecter, SODEXO Director, Shay Carr in Student Affairs, and multiple students working the welcome table at the Upstate Research Symposium on Friday, 3/31.
Thanks to collaboration from all these folks, the leftover breakfast & lunch boxes from the Symposium were distributed to students and others who happened by the CLC lobby on Friday in a small but significant attempt to bring awareness to the wicked problem of food insecurity.
Feeding America estimates that 11% of South Carolinians face hunger daily. Sadly, when we isolate this statistic to children, the number rises to over 14%. On the global scale, this number increases to nearly 25%. The Action Against Hunger organization sounds a clarion call, noting that after a decade of successful mitigation of this issue, the number of undernourished people grew by as many as 150 million from 2019 to 2022 due to COVID-19, climate change, and civil unrest.
As a gentle reminder, the Spartan Pantry exists on both our Spartanburg and Greenville campuses and serves any currently enrolled USC Upstate student in emergency on a “no questions asked”, honor system, designed to maximize privacy and minimize stigma for students.
Donations are gratefully accepted. Spartan’s Pantry accepts non-perishable food items, toiletries, and general cleaning supplies. (Frozen items, fresh produce, and expired items cannot be accepted.) Monetary donations are also appreciated and can be coordinated through Dr. Deb Kladivko or the University Advancement Office.
Read also about one of our students who experienced homelessness, then joined WGST 101 in serving others in similar situations.
Upstate also has a campus-based Community Resource Coordinator (CRC) from the United Way who can help students with challenges that might impede their academic success. The CRC can provide a listening ear, referral to services, or case management depending on the client’s need.
Hailey Barnhill
Community Resource Coordinator
United Way of the Piedmont
Email: hbarnhill@uwpiedmont.org
Web Form: Connect with Hailey
For immediate, one-time needs, the Spartan Student Emergency Fund serves USC Upstate students who encounter an unforeseen financial emergency or catastrophic event which would otherwise prevent them from continuing their education at USC Upstate. Currently enrolled students may apply for funds when they have exhausted all other resources (credit card, payment plans, additional student aid, assistance from family/friends, savings, other personal resources).