HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (WKRC) - It’s no secret college is expensive, but there’s another issue facing some students and it’s hiding in plain sight: hunger. However, a program at Northern Kentucky University is working to change that. “While you may be able to take out a loan to finance your tuition, what do you do about dinner every single night?” said Jessica Averitt Taylor.
Taylor is an associate professor at NKU. She's also the director of the program Feeding the University and Enriching Lives, or FUEL. The program has grown over the past five-plus years. It started with one shelf of goods for a student and now serves 8% of the students at NKU. Through the FUEL food pantry, students can access food and toiletries.
“I would much rather have us work to solve a problem, acknowledge it, then for us to turn a blind eye,” said Will Kirschner.
Kirscher, a master’s graduate and social worker, volunteers with FUEL. On Monday night he helped the program feed students who couldn’t go home for winter break and are stuck on campus.
“Whether it be they’re international, from another state, not have a stable home situation, this provides an opportunity for us to build community,” said Kirschner.
During the break, 379 students remain on campus. However, everything is closed and there’s no access to food on campus. So, like it did on Thanksgiving, FUEL is hosting a community meal with students.
“I think it’s really nice, honestly. It gets people together as a community and you get to have conversations and meet new people,” said junior student Lyndsay Fike.
Fike did make it home for Christmas but is back on campus in order to go to work. Elizabeth Osifalujo, on the other hand, hasn’t been back home since last December. She’s originally from Lagos, Nigeria.
“It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like someone cares about me. Sometimes it can be lonely here because there are not too many people around. It helps bring people together,” said Osifalujo.
On Thanksgiving break, more than 200 students took advantage of the meal. The pantry is finding so much success in helping students, it’s about to outgrow its space at the Albright Health Center.
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