MILWAUKEE—College students across Wisconsin are settling back into their routines this fall semester.

Many are facing an issue that hits close to home for Wisconsinites: food insecurity.

That’s where Marquette University’s backpack program bridges the gap. A 2018 survey found 20% of students attending Wisconsin’s largest private college are, or have been, food insecure.

“Upon coming to Marquette and learning that one in five of our students is food insecure was really impactful and really surprised me,” said junior Elizabeth Mantey, who volunteers for the backpack program. “It made being part of this program even more of a desire for me.”

The backpack program is a free service, offering nutritious food to students in need. Students can request bags weekly, or as needed. No names, no proof of eligibility and no questions necessary.

Senior John Brown, another volunteer, knows the struggle of food insecurity personally. He was on free and reduced lunch in high school. 

Brown was raised by a single mom who he credits for working hard to provide for him.  

“There's a concept that Marquette kids are rich and from the suburbs and that can be true, but I’m from the northwest side of Chicago,” he said. “I came here basically off of financial aid, otherwise I would not be here right now.”

Marquette University’s manager of campus food recovery and assistance, Christine Little, said she sees the stigma of food insecurity every day. She noted it is often not discussed or studied at the college level.

“A lot of students might have been on free and reduced lunch in high school, but that ends when they graduate,” she said. “A lot of people don’t realize food insecurity exists in college and it’s kind of a silent issue.”

Little said there is no concrete data to show what demographic requests food through the backpack program most often at Marquette, due to confidentiality reasons. She added the program sees more first-generation, low-income, and minority students each year.

“There is a direct correlation between food insecurity and graduation,” she said. “Just knowing we can take one less stress away so students can focus on their reasons for being here is huge.”

The pandemic increased the need for the backpack program quite a bit. Little said in 2019 when the program began, they averaged 150 bags per month. In the spring of 2020, they were up to between 600 and 650 bags.

“Marquette is also a food desert,” she said. “We have Sendiks, but that’s a higher price point and there’s nothing else walkable from campus.”

Since its inception in 2019, the backpack program has served around 350 students and has had more than 1,800 bags requested.  

“Hunger presents itself in a lot of different forms and presents everywhere, so you can never judge a book by its cover,” Brown said.

Little added it’s critical to realize most scholarship money cannot be used to purchase food.