Global Ministries and Higher Education Offer $10,000 Grants to Address Campus Food Insecurity at United Methodist-Related Colleges

ATLANTA: The General Boards of Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry will offer campus food and hygiene insecurity grants to help United Methodist-related colleges provide food and essential supplies to their students. The announcement comes as students face mounting financial pressures from cuts to student support programs on U.S. university campuses.

A total of 20 Campus Food and Hygiene Insecurity Grants, each for $10,000, will be available to institutions with fewer than 1,500 students. The grants are intended to strengthen campus food pantries and related services. Applications will open on June 1 and close on August 31, and grant information will be sent directly to campus ministers and campus contacts.

The source cites an analysis of student data by the U.S. General Accounting Office, which estimated that 23 percent of college students, or 3.8 million, experienced food insecurity in 2020. Since then, the source says, U.S. higher education institutions have experienced financial strain from reduced federal funding, which has led to cuts in student support programs. Declining loans and scholarships are increasing financial pressure on students, forcing difficult choices around tuition and basic living expenses.

Roland Fernandes, general secretary of Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry, said, “At a time when many students are struggling to meet even their most basic needs, the church is called to respond with compassion and action.” He added, “These grants are a tangible expression of our commitment to ensure that students can pursue their education with dignity, without having to choose between their studies and essential necessities like food and hygiene.”

Dr. Dana Lyles, executive director of Multiethnic Ministries for Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry, said, “Food insecurity doesn’t just affect a student’s health — it affects their ability to learn, to lead, and to stay enrolled. By strengthening campus pantries and support services, these grants help our schools create communities where every student is seen, supported, and able to thrive.”

Global Ministries provided similar grants in 2023 to students at nine United Methodist-related schools, purchasing items including hygiene products, laundry supplies and food pantry needs. The earlier grants offered a practical form of sharing daily necessities with students in need (Matthew 25:35).

The General Board of Global Ministries, which includes the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), is the international mission, humanitarian relief and development organization of The United Methodist Church. According to the source, it works in more than 100 countries, often through partners, to send missionaries, strengthen churches, improve community health, care for the environment and provide disaster response and humanitarian relief.

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) is the leadership development agency of The United Methodist Church. It awards scholarships, supports United Methodist-related colleges, universities and theological schools, resources discernment and candidacy for ordained ministry, and equips faith leaders to serve a global church and world. The source says GBHEM helps shape leaders who are rooted in faith, committed to justice, and prepared for ministry in diverse contexts.

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