Sociology students engage off campus to address food insecurity

Students in Sherrie Steiner’s sociology classes are learning by reaching out to those who may come from different backgrounds. The associate professor of sociology is using a unique program that encourages them to work off campus.

Utilizing a grant from Community-Engaged Alliance and collaboration from the Fort Wayne Area Interfaith Cooperative, students in Steiner’s principles of sociology and religious cosmopolitanism classes are hosting a community food drive to support multiple food pantries, including the FRIENDS of the University Pantry at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Since September, students have been visiting area religious institutions, sharing meals with church representatives, collecting donations, and providing speaking presentations. That includes engaging with 10 congregations through the end of November, culminating in a dinner with representatives from different faiths and elected officials to talk about food insecurity.

“It’s about building social cohesion in our community and collaborating with people who they might previously have seen as `other,’” Steiner said. “They are learning about coming together in a time of polarization, and they are eager for it.”

When Steiner recently asked for volunteer signups, all the slots were filled within three minutes. Among those students taking part are Liberty Chaney, Veronica Johnson, Shelby Wilkerson, Kaliyah Sexton, and Gavin Beer.

“As part of the project, they will share meals with participants from diverse faith traditions to get to know one another better and reflect on the food insecurity in our community,” Steiner said. “This is a chance for students to gain leadership opportunities and go into places they might not normally have gone. Students are also discussing how this is a much larger problem that touches not only our nation, but the entire world.”

Along with their presentations to hundreds of people, the students have so far gathered more than 1,600 pounds of food. The demand is so great that there have been times when they have stocked a pantry with 250 pounds of food only to find it emptied by the next day.

After speaking to the congregations, students hand out bags with a list of items parishioners are asked to return with the following week for collection. Those include items for Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control.

The Community-Engaged Alliance is an Indiana-focused organization. Focused on “Empowering Minds, Transforming Communities,” it supports programs that strengthen relationships between Indiana higher education institutions and communities through professional development and student leadership development.

“There is room for growth in this program,” Steiner said. “The pantries are best maintained when they are adopted by a local group. However, several of these pantries could benefit from some loving attention.”

Last year, as host of the Group of 20 nations, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva launched the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. Alongside 80 other counties, the U.S. made commitments at that time to support this initiative. It is scheduled to host the G20 in 2026.