Food insecurity has always been a part of Kate Madsen’s life. It’s a problem she expects will continue even after graduating from Syracuse University.

Madsen, a senior studying music at SU, is one of nearly 60,000 people in Onondaga County who lack reliable access to healthy, affordable food, according to 2016 data. Food insecurity extends far beyond Syracuse, affecting a total of 14.3 million people across the country in 2018.

“It’s been really hard figuring out where my next meal is going to be,” she said.

Madsen is trying to navigate filing an application for federal aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP benefits, monthly supplements for purchasing nutritious foods, are allocated depending on household size, income and expenses.

SNAP eligibility standards will shift this April, though, as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to change the way benefits are dispersed. The new rule will revise existing standards for how SNAP calculates an individual’s benefits based on their heat and utility costs.

Nearly 15% of Onondaga County residents and more than 30% of Syracuse residents currently participate in SNAP, according to Onondaga county data. Nearly 1.5 million households participated in SNAP, as of USDA data in June 2019.

Evan Weissman, an assistant professor of food studies in SU’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, said the SNAP shifts are too severe and pose lasting negative consequences.

“I think that there’s no doubt for the Syracuse community, for central New York as a whole, for New York State and the United States, there will be negative impacts from the changing of SNAP eligibility rules,” he said.

From a young age

Food insecurity reveals itself far too often in the lives of students who depend on federal benefits for their meals, said Rachel Murphy, food and nutrition services director for the Syracuse City School District.

The problem of student hunger has challenged her ever since she took the job, she said.

Eighty-four percent of SCSD students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, according to county data. The rate is well-past state provisions requiring that at least 60% of a district’s students qualify for free or reduced lunch in order for the district to provide those services for free.

The proposed SNAP changes could reduce the number of SCSD students eligible for free lunch. Losing benefits under the rule changes would put a strain on the system by potentially making other local districts more dependent on SCSD services, Murphy said.

“We’re in a community where there’s a lot of stories of poverty, food insecurity,” Murphy said. “Let’s at least feed the kids.”

Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry is one of 37 food pantries in Syracuse. Elizabeth Billman | Asst. Photo Editor 

SCSD is working to bolster existing programs with a hunger action plan that would include a new online income eligibility application to secure state funding for the district, Murphy said.

Madsen grew up in public schools where most students relied on free or reduced lunch provisions, she said. She volunteered at local food banks, though her family always barely kept themselves above the margin of needing the assistance, she said.

As an adult, she has difficulty buying cheap enough foods that will still meet her health needs, Madsen said. She spends much of her time shopping at various dollar stores within the area and preserving food for as long as she can.

Physical access

Income, transportation and geographic location are main factors affecting food insecurity, according to a county report.

More than half of census tracts in Syracuse are classified as food deserts, according to the report. Food deserts, as defined by the USDA, are census tracts where poverty rates rise above 20% and where more than 33% of residents live more than half a mile from their nearest supermarket.

The updated SNAP eligibility rules could increase public reliance on food banks, soup kitchens and food pantries, Weissman said.

The city of Syracuse has 37 food pantries, in addition to two available on SU’s campus.

The Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry, located on the second floor of Hendricks Chapel, serves the student community seven days a week. An additional food pantry is available to students on South Campus.

Still, Weissman said food insecurity is about more than geographic access to healthy food.

“Getting to that store isn’t necessarily the entire picture. You need to have money in your pocket to buy the food that’s there,” he said.

Multi-dimensional effects

Food insecurity has implications for both rural and urban communities because access to food links across communities, Weissman said. Food insecurity is directly related to economic inequality, he said.

Kayla Kelechian, an organizer for the Workers’ Center of Central New York, said she is frustrated that low-unemployment rates have been used to justify SNAP eligibility shifts.

Despite new restaurant job openings in Syracuse, many low-income workers who rely on SNAP benefits encounter harsh working conditions and wage theft, Kelechian said. In effect, available jobs are not sustainable for more than a few months at a time.

“It’s like, you either be exploited or you don’t have food,” she said.

60,000 people in Onondaga County lack reliable access to healthy, affordable food. Elizabeth Billman | Asst. Photo Editor

Changing SNAP eligibility will also devastate low-income farm workers who depend on the program in the Syracuse area, said Stacy Bautista, a spokesperson for the Eastern Farm Workers Association.

Changes to federal spending on food stamp programs have been happening for decades, Bautista said. Dealing with this, in addition to negative effects of climate change on the farming industry, has been difficult for EFWA members, she said.

The only way for people to prepare for the April changes is to organize, Kelechian and Bautista said.

Moving forward

SNAP and free or reduced-price school meals have been effective in combating food insecurity, but they should not be the ultimate goal of federal public assistance, Weissman said.

“You wouldn’t need programs like that if you ensured everybody had adequate access to the means necessary for survival,” he said.

Weissman said he hopes to continue expanding regional food connections in Onondaga County so institutions such as SU can help local, largely untapped markets grow, he said.

Madsen said she is determined not to let food insecurity completely define her life as a student and musician. Continuing to learn about how food insecurity affects the lives of students and their families is important work, she said.

“Communities are never stagnant. You are always evolving. People move in, people move out, industry opens, closes, businesses rise and fall,” Murphy said. “And because of that, you’re always going to have to find a way to measure who you’re serving.”

Published on February 4, 2020 at 11:26 pm

Contact Marnie: ammunozc@syr.edu