“Food is love.” On February 26, during a Table of Plenty event, our group reflected on these powerful words spoken by Dan Lombardo from Mission of Mary Farms. Food has the uncanny ability to bring people together, get people talking and bridge gaps between individuals who might otherwise seem very different.
That spirit was present during a Table of Plenty event hosted by the Center for Social Concern (CSC) and supported by the Hanley Sustainability Institute (HSI) Student Leaders. Table of Plenty events are held every month by CSC, each centered around a different social justice topic. The focus of this particular event was food justice.
Hansen Somuah and Lucia Bair, student leaders at the Hanley Sustainability Institute, had the idea to bring our shared passion for sustainability into this conversation and engage more students on campus. We are both members of the Food Systems Team at HSI, where we work to limit food waste on campus and advocate for food justice in our community. Partnering with CSC to bring this event to life was an incredibly fulfilling experience.
Throughout both the planning process and the event itself, we were struck by some staggering statistics. For instance, about one-third of students on our campus experience food insecurity. It is heartbreaking to realize that so many students at UD are impacted by this issue, while many others remain completely unaware.
Learning about the scale of this problem can make it difficult not to feel discouraged. However, our group chose to end the conversation by focusing on places where we see hope.
During the discussion, we shared our experience working with the Food Systems Team at HSI and the work we do with the Food Recovery Network. Through this program, we collect meals that would otherwise be thrown away and redistribute them to our campus food pantry. While this may seem like a small step, feeding even one student who is experiencing food insecurity is a meaningful success. Small efforts like these remind me that progress is possible and give me hope as we continue working to combat this issue.
Events such as this Table of Plenty are another meaningful step in progress, as education and engaging dialogue create a strong foundation for action. As Hansen remarked, “My big takeaway was how much people were willing to sit down for some time and have a meaningful discussion. Food justice is something that is important to me, and to see others care as well gives me hope for the future.”
The name of the event serves as a reminder that our table becomes more plentiful when we come together, invite others to take a seat and work collectively toward lasting change and justice at UD and beyond.