FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Purdue University Fort Wayne will be holding a Food Insecurity Summit next week.
The college will be hosting a group discussion on what the issue is and how to help on Thursday, February 20th from 6-8 pm in the Walb Student Union Classic Ballroom. It’ll be free and open to the public.
The 2017 Feeding America report found that 13.5% of people in Allen County don’t have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. That number jumps to 17.2% when only considering children.
One topic will be the “food deserts” scattered around Fort Wayne and Allen County, plus possible solutions.
The summit will be facilitated by Patricia Eber, professor and chair of the Department of Human Services, and Eric Manor, director of wellness and fitness and the Pantry at Purdue Fort Wayne. Additionally, a panel of community experts on food insecurity will discuss the issue. Panel members are:
- Jered Blanchard, community wellness coordinator, Purdue Extension Office
- Laura Dwire, community programs manager,
St. Joseph Community Health Foundation - Kathy Wehrle, lead community outreach registered dietitian nutritionist, certified lifestyle medicine practitioner, Parkview Health
The student organizations which are collaborating on the summit are:
- Chi Eta Sigma—Counselor Education program in the School of Education
- Tau Upsilon Alpha—Department of Human Services
- Hospitality Management Association—Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management
- Kappa Delta Pi—Educational Leadership graduate program and Undergraduate Teacher preparation program in the School of Education
- Pi Alpha Alpha—Department of Public Policy
