CHAPEL HILL, NC — A new online resource, NCCollegeFoodBenefits.org, is aiming to reduce food insecurity among college students in North Carolina by raising awareness of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The website offers a user-friendly quiz that helps students determine their potential eligibility.
SNAP, also known in North Carolina as Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), provides food benefits to low-income individuals or families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford nutritious food essential to health and well-being. Nationally, 2 out of 3 college students who are likely eligible for SNAP/FNS food assistance aren’t participating in the program, according to the US Government Accountability Office.
The NC College Food Benefits website and outreach campaign is a project of the Carolina Hunger Initiative, which is a nutrition security program based at the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and a SNAP Outreach partner with the NC Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child and Family Well-Being, FNS Section.
“Worrying about basic needs like food shouldn’t get in the way of your academic success,” said Dr. Jessica Soldavini, Principal Investigator on the project with the Carolina Hunger Initiative and Assistant Professor in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health’s Department of Nutrition.
“Food insecurity among college students is a significant public health issue that negatively impacts dietary intake, physical health, mental health, and academic performance. NCCollegeFoodBenefits.org will make it easy for college students to find information on SNAP/FNS, a program that has been shown to improve food security.”
In addition to student resources, the website offers a dedicated section for staff and partners who work with college students, providing tools to assist in disseminating information about food assistance programs.
“The Carolina Hunger Initiative is dedicated to increasing access to healthy food,” said Lou Anne Crumpler, Director of the Carolina Hunger Initiative. “This new project builds on our successes and relationships from more than a decade of work.”
For more information, and to check your potential eligibility, visit NCCollegeFoodBenefits.org.
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About NC College Food Benefits
Being hungry shouldn’t get in the way of academic success. NC College Food Benefits is a movement to make it easy to find out if you’re eligible for SNAP/FNS food assistance benefits, which provide extra dollars each month for healthy groceries. The campaign is managed by the Carolina Hunger Initiative at UNC-Chapel Hill, with support from the NC Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child and Family Well-Being, FNS Section and the USDA SNAP Outreach program. Learn more about your potential eligibility, or how you can help spread the word, at NCCollegeFoodBenefits.org.
About Carolina Hunger Initiative
The Carolina Hunger Initiative is a project at the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Our mission is to increase access to healthy meals year-round for North Carolinians. We use programming, applied research, and compelling communications to support policy, systems, and environmental changes that connect people with the food they need. Learn more at CarolinaHungerInitiative.org.
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
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