Fighting Food Insecurity: Enhancing Access and Nutrition

Presenter: Kadiatou Ba, Public Health Science, Global Public Health Scholars

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Working at the University of Maryland (UMD) Campus Food Pantry during my practicum gave me the chance to get a firsthand look at food poverty and how it affects the health and wellbeing of college students. Organizing and distributing food supplies, helping with inventory control, cleaning up after closure, and interacting with staff and students to make sure their needs were satisfied in a discreet and dignified manner were my main duties. I also took part in groups and awareness-raising initiatives that held events to spread knowledge via fliers and social media posts on campus. In addition to improving my communication and organizing abilities, this experience helped me better grasp the socioeconomic determinants of health, especially how access to wholesome food influences mental health, academic achievement, and general quality of life. I discovered that food insecurity is a problem of accessibility, awareness, and stigma in addition to availability. I was able to see personally how public health initiatives may lower barriers and advance health equity through my employment. By tackling the underlying causes of food insecurity and improving health via preventative measures and community-based solutions, this practicum made a connection to public health. My dedication to a career in public health was strengthened by my work at the UMD food pantry, which made me realize how crucial it is to establish systems that assist disadvantaged groups and increase access to necessary resources. All things considered, this practicum provided me with insightful knowledge on how public health initiatives may actually improve