As food insecurity on college campuses soars, local schools meet needs

Leslie Napolitano juggles motherhood, a job and classes at Luzerne County Community College. An in-school food pantry ensures she always has enough food to feed herself and her family. "The support is huge," the 36-year-old Coaldale resident said. "Food insecurity is a real thing when you have kids. This is wonderful." Cans of soup, boxes of granola bars and jars of peanut butter sit on shelves and in cabinets at colleges across Northeast Pennsylvania. The schools began addressing food insecurity prior to the pandemic, which brought even greater attention to the obstacles some students face in earning a diploma. Most recently, inflation has caused students to eat smaller meals and turn to the in-school pantries with greater frequency.