FUEL NKU: A Campus Community Hunger Initiative

Abstract

Regional universities are often embedded within the community, and so community issues off campus are reflected on campus. For example, college students at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) face many of the same food challenges present in the larger region. This paper presents a case study of a faculty-led, student-run campus hunger initiative, FUEL NKU. Social work students determined to address hunger on campus developed FUEL NKU as a student organization overseeing several initiatives to increase awareness of hunger and get food and toiletries to students in need. Using innovative techniques and social media, the student-led, faculty-supervised initiative developed an awareness campaign and food pantry to help students facing hunger across campus. This case study provides an example of how on-campus programming must reflect the issues off campus. In addition, it provides a blueprint for others to replicate the efforts taken by the social work students at NKU.