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Exploring the practices and experiences of food resource manager in managing food resource rooms to address food insecurity at two-year community colleges

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Exploring the practices and experiences of food resource manager in managing food resource rooms to address food insecurity at two-year community colleges

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Exploring the Practices and Experiences of Food Resource Managers in Managing Food
Resource Rooms to Address Food Insecurity at Two-Year Community Colleges
by
Aristotle Mosier

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education

August 2023

iii

© Copyright by Aristotle Mosier 2023
All Rights Reserved

iv

The Committee for Aristotle Mosier certifies the approval of this Dissertation

Briana Hinga
Matthew Witenstein
Helena Seli, Committee Chair

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2023

iv
Abstract
This study explored the practices and experiences of food resource managers at ten community
colleges in the southwestern United States, highlighting their use of food resource rooms to assist
food-insecure students. Utilizing the CFIR's domains of intervention source, inner setting, and
process, the study probed into the food resource managers' strategies in the food pantry to aid
food-insecure students. It examined the characteristics of the food resource room as an
intervention, the influence of food resource room designs, and the effects of the community
college district’s culture, climate, and structure on these managers. Furthermore, the study delved
into managers’ views on the process of food program implementation, from engagement to
evaluation. Data was gathered through qualitative interviews with ten food resource managers.
Six themes emerged from the study: (a) high utilization of food pantry indicates moderate to high
levels of food insecurity; (b) managers’ years of experience and scope of facility oversight had a
significant impact on food pantry implementation; (c) flexible and needs responsive nature of the
pantry helped managers in their support of food-insecure students; (d) supportive organizational
culture positively impacts food resource managers’ ability to support students; (e) a lack of
secure funding for the food pantry led to managers to seek out funding support from external
partners; and (f) the accuracy of food pantry effectiveness remains uncertain without a
comprehensive assessment. The study’s findings can provide insights into the optimization of
food pantries to assist food-insecure students and spotlight measures that higher education
institutions might undertake to strengthen the efforts of food resource managers in combating
food insecurity.

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Dedication
To my loving wife, Dr. Jennifer Miller, thank you for your love, support, encouragement, and
patience in supporting me in pursuing this dream. I could not have achieved this dream without
your love and support.

To my parents, Diana and Randy Mosier, grandmother Lidovina Pangilan, and Aunt Dinah
Pangilan who encouraged me to pursue my dreams. I am indebted to your sacrifices.

To my son, Aedan. Thank you for being my inspiration and being part of this journey.

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Acknowledgements
I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to my committee for their time, support, and
advice during this doctoral journey. I want to acknowledge Dr. Helena Seli for serving as my
chair who spent hours reviewing my work and providing coaching and guidance in helping me
become a better researcher and scholar. Many thanks to Dr. Briana Hinga who inspired me to
think critically about my positionality and equity in my work and Dr. Matt Witenstein for your
feedback, advice, and encouragement. Thank you!
I want to share my deepest gratitude to my family, particularly my wife, Jen for your
unwavering love and support and inspiration. Without you, I do not think I could have made it.
To my mom, Diana, my father, Randy, and my son, Aedan for supporting and believing in me.
To Ken and Diane Miller for your love and support. I also wish to thank my Higher Ed and OCL
Cohort 19 for your friendship and encouragement. Lastly, to my late lola, Lidovina Pangilan and
my Tita Indah for instilling the love of education and support of others.

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Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv
Dedication (Optional) ..................................................................................................................... v
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi
List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. x
List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... xii
List of Abbreviations (Optional) ....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Chapter One: Overview of the Study .............................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Background of the Problem ...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Organization Context and Mission ..................................................................................... 3
Purpose of the Study and Research Questions .................................................................... 4
Importance of the Study ...................................................................................................... 5
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology .................................................... 6
Definitions........................................................................................................................... 7
Organization of the Dissertation ......................................................................................... 9
Chapter Two: Review of the Food Insecurity Literature .............................................................. 10
Definition and Data on Food Insecurity............................................................................ 10
History of Food Insecurity Study and Interventions ......................................................... 12
Food Insecurity in the Context of Higher Education ........................................................ 15
Food Insecurity Interventions ........................................................................................... 22
Food Resource Managers .................................................................................................. 25
Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research Model ....................................... 26
Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................... 29
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 31
Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................................ 32

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Overview of Methodology ................................................................................................ 32
The Researcher.................................................................................................................. 33
Data Source: Interviews .................................................................................................... 34
Data Collection Procedures ............................................................................................... 35
Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 37
Credibility and Trustworthiness ........................................................................................ 37
Ethics................................................................................................................................. 37
Chapter Four: Findings ................................................................................................................. 39
Participants ........................................................................................................................ 39
General Findings About Food Pantry Creation and Characteristics ................................. 41
Results for Research Question One: How do the Food Program Characteristics
Impact the Managers' Ability to Assist Students with Food Insecurity? ........................ 47
Results for Research Question Two: How does the Community College District’s
Culture, Climate, Structure, and Readiness Impact the Managers’ Ability to Assist
Students with Food Insecurity? ......................................................................................... 50
Results for Research Question Three: How does the Process of Food Program
Implementation Influence the Managers’ Ability to Assist Students with Food
Insecurity? ......................................................................................................................... 54
Discussion for Research Question Four: What Recommendations Do Food
Resource Managers Make For Effective Design and Implementation of Food
insecurity Intervention Practices? ..................................................................................... 57
Summary ........................................................................................................................... 61
Chapter Five: Discussion and Recommendations......................................................................... 63
Discussion of Findings ...................................................................................................... 63
Recommendations for Practice ......................................................................................... 69
Limitations and Delimitations ........................................................................................... 72
Recommendations for Future Research ............................................................................ 73
Implications for Policy ...................................................................................................... 75

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Implications for Equity ..................................................................................................... 76
Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 76
References ..................................................................................................................................... 78
Appendix A: Semi-structured Interview Protocol ........................................................................ 89

x
List of Tables

Table 1: Demographics of Students Enrolled for Credit 17
Table 2: Age Ranges of Student Enrolled 18
Table 3: Other Significant Demographics 18
Table 4: Consolidated Framework for Implementation Domains and Constructs 28
Table 5: Food Resource Managers 41
Table 6: Findings 42

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework 30

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Chapter One: Introduction to the Problem of Practice
In a recent 2021 #Real College Survey report, 39% of students at two-year colleges
experienced food insecurity, compared to 29% of students at four-year colleges who experienced
food insecurity. Despite the availability of food pantries at two-year institutions, a 2016 report of
34 U.S. college campuses in 12 states indicated that only 17% of food-insecure students had used
a food pantry (Dubick et al., 2016). There is limited information from practice/professional
development in literature on campus food resource managers’ experiences and how their work
with campus food pantries (CFPs) affects student hunger relief. Understanding the common
barriers that food resource managers face in addressing food insecurity will assist in identifying
sustainable, effective solutions. By exploring the effectiveness of food insecurity resources at
two-year colleges through the practice and experiences of food resource managers, two-year
institutions can fulfill their role of providing equitable access to higher education for groups who
often lack the resources to participate in traditional higher education systems and in removing
barriers to academic success.
Background of the Problem
Studies have shown that the frequency of food insecurity among community college
students is significantly higher when compared to food insecurity in the general public (Ahmed
et al.,2022; Coleman-Jensen et al., 2018; Nazmi et al.,2019). The #Real College Survey, a multi-
institutional report, highlighted the issue of food insecurity across higher education institutions
through yearly reports (Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019). Established in 2015, this survey stands as the
nation’s largest annual assessment of basic needs security among college students and has shown
the issue of food insecurity has been on the rise on college campuses.
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In the wake of the pandemic, the rate of food insecurity has worsened, and students at
community colleges have been disproportionately affected (Ahmed et al.,2022; The Hope Center
for College, Community, and Justice, 2021). The following response from a student in Texas
collected in the 2021 #Real College highlighted the impact of the pandemic on his status as a
student:
For students like myself who do not have parents to financially support them, during
times like these, it is hard to both balance your finances to make ends meet such as rent,
bills/utilities, and even the ability to eat a full day’s meal, let alone a nutritionally
balanced meal. (The Hope Center, 2021, p. 28)
Cady (2016) highlighted this struggle in an article describing when she interacted with a single
mother student accessing her center’s CFP. The student shared that the last time she had eaten
food was two days before her visit to the pantry.
Meza et al. (2018) demonstrated food insecurity affects students’ academic success and
performance. Spaid et al. (2021) found a strong relationship between food insecurity and
academic success among community college students. The U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) stated that food security is one of several conditions for a population to be healthy and
well-nourished (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2017). Investing in resolving food insecurity enables
community colleges to address their role of providing equitable access to higher education for
groups who lack resources to participate in traditional higher education systems and removing
barriers to academic success. (El Zein et al., 2019; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019; Laska, 2020; Silva
et al., 2017).
Reducing food insecurity at two-year institutions requires various strategies and
interventions. The most common food resource to address food insecurity is the food resource
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room, more commonly called the “food pantry,” which is a type of food resource that collects
food donations from community food resource organizations and redistributes food to
individuals in need at no cost (An, 2019; El Zein et al., 2018). Another strategy higher education
institutions use to assist students with food insecurity is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP), formerly called “food stamps.” The program allows students to purchase food
items from local grocery stores using electronic debit cards (Blumenthal & Chu 2018; Goldrick-
Rab et al., 2018; Woods et al., 2016). Some schools offer students the option to use their leftover
meal plan points to share or donate their meal swipes to peers in need (Blumenthal & Chu,
2018). These cross-sections of campus food resources and financial support have become
common food insecurity resources at two-year colleges. Despite these resources available to
students, there is a lack of data confirming their effectiveness and barriers that may prevent
access to food-insecure students. With food insecurity in community colleges likely to increase
due to the pandemic and rising cost of education, further research is needed to identify the most
effective strategies to mitigate food insecurity.
Organization Context and Mission
This study focused on the food resource managers at a community college district in the
southwestern United States. Southwestern Community College District (SWCCD, a pseudonym)
is comprised of 10 colleges that offer two-year associate degree and occupational certificates
through in-person, online, and dual enrollment programs. The 10 colleges serve nearly 80,000
students. According to the organization’s website, SWCCD serves ethnically diverse populations
that include 53% of students from underrepresented groups: over 30% of students identify as
Hispanic, over 4% as African American, less than 3% as Asian, and over 1% as Native
American. Forty-nine percent of the student population are first-generation college students.
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Fifty-eight percent of the students are male and 41% are female. Seventy-four percent are part-
time and 26% full-time students.
According to the organization’s website, Southwestern Community College District
(SWCCD) had established 13 food resource rooms to provide support to students experiencing
food insecurity. The organization has also established a basic needs and community resource
web page that includes food bank information, mobile food distribution dates, and food resource
room information. The food resource rooms are managed by food resource managers who are
employed as full-time or part-time employees whose primary or secondary responsibilities
involve managing campus food resources. The SWCCD food resource managers rely on student,
faculty, and staff volunteers to manage food resource room supplies. The food supplies are
replenished through a partnership with local food banks, and employees must track food resource
users and visits.
Purpose of the Study and Research Questions
This research aimed to conduct an exploratory study about the food resource managers’
practices and experiences in the context of their ability to assist students with food insecurity.
The research questions for this study were developed to explore barriers and facilitators that food
resource managers face in managing food resource rooms to reduce food insecurity at two-year
community colleges. The research questions guiding the study are the following:
1. How do the food program characteristics impact the managers’ abilities to assist
students with food insecurity?
2. How does the community college district’s culture, climate, structure, and readiness
impact the managers’ ability to assist students with food insecurity?
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3. How does the process of food program implementation influence the managers’
ability to assist students with food insecurity?
4. What recommendations do food resource managers make for effective design and
implementation of food insecurity intervention practices?
Importance of the Study
The frequency of food insecurity among community college students found in recent
studies (Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019; #Real College Survey, 2021) demonstrate that this is a
compelling problem to address in higher education institutions. According to Swipe Out Hunger
(2021), a campus college survey on CFPs, a rise in the opening of on-campus food resource rooms
shows a compelling need to support these essential resources in their support of students and their
broader campus community. With food insecurity in community colleges likely to increase due to the
pandemic and rising cost of education, more students from community colleges will continue to be
negatively affected (Ahmed et al., 2022; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019). Recent studies have shown food
insecurity affects academic success and performance. Specifically, students who face food insecurity
are more likely to experience lower academic success, often leading to stopping and starting school
and taking longer to graduate (Maroto et al.,2015; Meza et al.,2018).
Community colleges play a crucial role in serving as a gateway to higher education.
Community colleges provide access to college degrees, occupational education, remedial
education, and other educational services through lower tuition costs and flexible schedules
(Mintz, 2019). Due to their culture of open access, community colleges tend to attract many
African-American, Latino, first-year, low-income, first-generation, older, working-class, and
veteran students (Dougherty et al., 2017). It is important to address food insecurity in community
colleges because that access provides a gateway into higher education for groups who often lack
the resources to participate in traditional higher education pathways. Community colleges cannot
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fulfill their roles and purpose in providing meaningful access to higher education without a clear and
effective system to address food insecurity. By exploring the promising practice of food resource
rooms and the barriers and facilitators of effective implementation, food resource managers can
implement successful interventions in addressing food insecurity at two-year colleges.
The study’s data can inform institutional leaders about the experiences and practices of food
resource managers in the organization by giving them a voice in how to effectively serve students
with food insecurity resources through effective design and implementation of food insecurity
intervention practices. Food pantry managers may be in a unique position to gain valuable insights
about food insecurity issues from students who use their resources. This study offers opportunities
for institutional leadership to recognize barriers to effective food resource room practices and to
modify policies, culture, and leadership to improve and sustain successful food insecurity
intervention practices.
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology
The theoretical framework used in this study is the Consolidated Framework for
Implementation Research (CFIR). This theoretical framework is commonly used to evaluate
evidence-based interventions (Safaeinili et al., 2020). This study used the CFIR framework to
explore food resource managers’ experiences, perspectives of the institution’s climate, and
implementation practices in serving food-insecure students. Using CFIR as the foundation for this
study, this research examined three domains of CFIR that are highly relevant to the study of food
resource managers’ experiences and practices in the context of their abilities to manage food
insecurity resources: (a) intervention characteristics settings (i.e., campus food resources design and
structure), (b) inner setting (i.e., school climate, culture, and structure), and (c) process of
implementation (i.e., marketing, stakeholder impact, and evaluation).
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Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was the appropriate theoretical model
for this study because CFIR provides a framework for researchers evaluating the efficacy of
evidence-based interventions, such as food resource rooms in addressing students with food
insecurity. The CFIR was designed to be adaptable and applicable in a variety of settings to support
consistency in evaluation. In addition, CFIR helps researchers understand why and how
implementation processes work (CFIR Research Team, 2017; Damschroder et al., 2009). This
framework is appropriate in exploring how an intervention practice, such as food resource rooms, can
address and alleviate food insecurity among students at two-year colleges.
This study used qualitative interviews to explore the lived experience of food resource managers at
two-year colleges. The qualitative interview process aligns with the purpose of this study because it
can be used to explore the implementation and effectiveness of food resource practices from the
perspective of the managers who implement the practice. A qualitative interview process will enable
exploration of the three domains of CFIR—(a) intervention characteristics, (b) inner setting, and (c)
process of implementation—which are important parts of the framework used to link the
implementation process to outcomes and a means of evaluating the implementation of evidence-
based practices.
Definitions
The following terms will appear throughout this study:
Basic Needs
Basic needs are the term defined as the minimum resources necessary to holistically
support all students in their daily lives (#Real College Survey; 2021).
CARES ACT
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal
legislation bill that was passed by the U.S. Congress on March 27, 2020, to provide fast and
8

direct economic aid to the people negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (USDA,
2020).
Food Insecurity
Food insecurity is defined as the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate
and safe food or the ability to acquire such food in a socially acceptable manner (USDA, 2020).
Food Resource Room
A food resource room or “food pantry” is a type of food assistance service that collects
food donations from the community and redistributes food to those in need at no cost (El Zein et
al., 2018).
Food Resource Manager
A food resource manager is a paid/nonpaid staff member who oversees food resource
programs at a higher educational institution (Swipe Out Hunger, 2022).
HEERF
Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) are emergency grants provided by
the federal government to students experiencing financial hardship specifically due to the
disruption of campus operations because of the COVID-19 pandemic and for expenses related to
any component of the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to
coronavirus (U.S. Department of Education, 2021).
#Real College Survey
The #RealCollege survey is the largest annual assessment of basic needs security of
college students that include food and housing security (Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019).

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SNAP
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s largest nutrition
assistance program to combat food insecurity (U.S. Government Accountability Office [GAO],
2018).
Organization of the Dissertation
This dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter One highlights the problem of
practice, the importance of the study, the organization focus, the research questions that guide it,
the theoretical frameworks, the target population being studied, the theoretical and
methodological framework, and key definitions. Chapter Two provides a review of current
literature on food insecurity. The literature review includes the impact on community college
student populations, intervention practices, and conceptual framework. Chapter Three outlines
the specific methodology used in the qualitative study for the selection of participants, data
collection and analysis. Chapter Four presents the findings. Chapter Five provides a discussion of the
findings, recommendations for future practice, and future research.

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Chapter Two: Review of the Food Insecurity Literature
This chapter includes a review of related research and a conceptual framework model
used for data collection. The literature review explored definitions of and data on food insecurity,
the history of food insecurity research, and interventions in the United States and on college
campuses. The impact of intervention methods for food insecurity at two- and four-year
institutions is addressed. The review proceeds from the general research literature to the CFIR on
the practice and experience of food resource managers in managing food resource rooms to
address food insecurity at two-year community colleges.
Definition and Data on Food Insecurity
Food insecurity among college students is a growing issue in higher education.
According to a 2018 U.S. GAO report, food insecurity affects the educational experience of
college students. Studies have suggested that college students experience high rates of food
insecurity (Bruening et al., 2017; Freudenberg et al., 2019; Henry, 2017; Mialki et al., 2021;
Patton‐López et al., 2014; Phillips et al., 2018; Silva et al., 2015; Wood & Harris, 2018).
Food insecurity is described as the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally
adequate, safe foods or the inability to acquire personally acceptable food in socially acceptable
ways (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2017; Goldrick et al., 2018). Food insecurity is a complex issue
determined by the severity of the condition in various stages of accessibility to nutritious food
and hunger (USDA, 2000). The USDA (2020) defined hunger as the most extreme form of food
insecurity. Serving as the primary government agency that explores the prevalence of food
insecurity in U.S. households, the USDA developed the Household Food Security Survey
Module (HFSSM) as the standard survey for analyzing food insecurity.
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Among the multi-institutional reports that investigate food insecurity across higher
education institutions, six national studies have come from the #Real College Survey (Goldrick-
Rab et al., 2019). Established in 2015, the #RealCollege survey is the nation’s most significant
annual assessment of basic needs security among college students. The survey explicitly
evaluates access to affordable food and housing. A 2021 report published by Hope Center for
College, Community, and Justice found that 38 % of community college students experienced
food insecurity in the 30 days prior to taking the survey, 16% experienced low food security, and
22% faced extremely low food security (#RealCollege Survey, 2020). Based on the USDA
(2020) guidelines, the Real College Survey found college students to be food insecure when they
are at either low or very low levels of food security. The survey’s questions ranged from access
to nutritious food to hunger.
Kendrick et al. (2020) analyzed the emerging works of literature on food insecurity and
suggested that the defining characteristics of food insecurity among college students include (a)
lack of sufficient food, (b) negative academic implications, (c) negative physical health impacts,
(d) negative psychosocial health impacts, and (e) learning to identify and use food resources. In
the first systematic literature review of food insecurity, Nazmi et al. (2019) reviewed eight
studies using the USDA Food Insecurity Survey (FSSM) found that food insecurity among
students at U.S. higher education institutions was at least three times higher than observed in
U.S. households. The selected studies showed an unweighted prevalence of 43.5% of food
insecurity. The researchers found that food insecurity among college students was significantly
higher than that of the general population.
Nikolaus et al. (2019) found that food insecurity rates in college are inconsistent because
some studies surveyed students over a 12-month period instead of a shorter time frame, and
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students were often misclassified as having low to very low food insecurity. In addition, Nikolaus
et al. (2019) discovered college students appeared to answer the questions on the HFSSM
questionnaire differently than the general population did. The authors also were unable to find
why there was variation among college students’ answers compared to the answers among the
general population. Although HFSSMs have been well supported by evidence, evaluations of
their suitability for college student populations have not been conducted, as adaptations of other
survey instruments have (Nazmi et al., 2019; Nikolaus et al., 2019). Despite a lack of consistency
among measures of food insecurity among college students, several researchers have
recommended conducting more studies to determine how food insecurity is measured and the
prevalence in college students (Bruening et al., 2017; Ellison et al., 2020; Freudenberg et al.,
2019; Henry, 2017; Mialki et al., 2021; Nazmi et al., 2019; Nikolaus er al., 2019; Patton‐López
et al., 2014; Phillips et al., 2018; Silva et al., 2015; Wood & Harris, 2018).
History of Food Insecurity Study and Intervention
The study of food insecurity among college students is a recent phenomenon; however,
studies of food insecurity in the United States have been conducted since the early 20th century
(Andrew et al., 1993; Poppendieck, 1986). Before the first published report of food insecurity on
a college campus conducted by Chaparro et al. in 2008, the study of food insecurity mostly
focused on U.S. households and children (National Academies Press, 2006).
Food insecurity in the United States first gained widespread attention in the 1930s, when
the Great Depression left a quarter of U.S. workers unemployed and without access to food
(Poppendieck, 1986). Despite the abundance of food production by U.S. farmworkers, a
substantial number of Americans experienced hunger (Andrew et al., 1993; Landers, 2007;
Poppendieck, 1986). To solve the issue of food surplus and hunger, the U.S. Congress approved
13

the Agriculture Adjustment Act in 1933 to purchase wheat surplus from farmers and donate it to
hunger relief efforts (Lander, 2006). As a result, U.S. policymakers played a leading role in
hunger relief efforts, which have traditionally been handled by private organizations (Landers,
2007; Poppendieck, 1986). More government interventions to address the issue of hunger and
support the growing need for food access would soon follow.
In spite of these efforts, hunger continued to rise. The issue of hunger received national
attention when a series of investigations in the 1960s and the CBS News documentary Hunger in
America found hunger was prevalent in rural areas in the South (Eisinger, 1998; National
Academy Press, 2006). The awareness of widespread hunger in the United States led to public
outcry and increased criticism of the lack of effective support from the government to alleviate
hunger. As a response, the government implemented legislative programs, such as the School
Breakfast Program, the provision of free and reduced-price meals in schools; the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and the expansion of Food
Stamp program which is now called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
(Eisinger, 1996; Landers, 2006; National Academies Press, 2006; Poppendieck, 1999).
The expansion of hunger relief programs led to a push to develop a consistent definition
and measurement of hunger. Radimer et al. (1990) found there was often a lack of consensus
among government and nonprofit agencies about the definition of hunger, measurement
strategies, and estimates of the extent of the problem. This lack of consistent definition and
measure would continue until 1990s when the Life Sciences Research Office (LSRO), under the
directions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, published a report that
provided consensus conceptual definitions for food security, food insecurity and hunger
(Anderson, 1990; National Academies Press, 2006). The panel report defined “food security as
14

the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods and the ability to acquire acceptable
foods in socially acceptable ways” (Anderson, 1990, pp. 1575–1576). In addition, the report
showed food insecurity occurs when there is limited access to nutritionally adequate and safe
foods or when there is limited ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.
Moreover, the report suggested hunger can be due to but is not necessarily result of food
insecurity (Anderson, 1990; National Academies Press, 2006; Radimer et al., 1990). Prior to the
adoption of a standard definition of hunger, estimating the scope of hunger among the U.S.
population was a challenging task. By redefining the hunger problem as a matter of food
security, the report provided a context on the issue of food insecurity that might be addressed.
In the panel report provided by the Life Science Research Office (LSRO), researchers
and policymakers led the way in confronting the hunger problems in the United States by
studying the food security issue (Anderson, 1990; USDA, 2006). The conceptual definitions
provided by the LSRO paved the way for the USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services to develop operational definitions of food insecurity and hunger to be used in
national surveys. The culmination of this work would continue with the National Nutrition
Monitoring and Related Research Act (NNMRR), which instructed the USDA and the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services to prepare and implement a ten-year comprehensive
plan to assess the dietary and nutritional status of the U.S. population (Anderson, 1990; Coleman
et al., 2019; National Academies Press, 2006; USDA, 2000).
Over the course of several years, the interagency group of the USDA and the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services developed a food security instrument, a set of food
security scales that combine information from sets of questions in the instrument would be added
to census survey. The Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) would become the
15

standard survey model used to calculate the food security status of each household surveyed and
the foundation for many college-wide surveys (National Academies Press, 2006; Nazmi et al.,
2019; Nikolaus er al., 2019; USDA, 2000).
Food Insecurity in the Context of Higher Education
In recent years, several studies have suggested that college students in the United States
are facing a significant state of food insecurity (Bruening et al., 2017; El Zein et al., 2011;
Goldrick-Rabb, Baker-Smith et al., 2019; Henry, 2017; Morris et al., 2016; Nazmi et al., 2019;
Willis, 2019). The first reported study of food insecurity on a college campus was in 2008 by
Chaparro et al. (2008), who conducted their study to assess the prevalence of food insecurity and
to identify factors that lead to food insecurity among college students at the University of
Hawai’i at Manoa. Their study would lead the way in studying food insecurity on college
campuses.
Food Insecurity at Four-Year Institutions
Several authors, such as Gaines et al. (2014), Morris et al. (2016), Patton-Lopez et al.
(2014), El Zein et al. (2019), Miller et al. (2019), have found that food insecurity is prevalent at
four-year colleges and universities, regardless of their private or public status. Despite the
consistent theme of food insecurity presence at four-year institutions, there is a need to show
consistent methodology in gathering and analyzing data on food-insecure students (Nazmi et al.,
2019; Nikolaus et al., 2019).
Food Insecurity at Two-Year Institutions
Food insecurity has been documented at two-year and four-year colleges, with greater
rates among students enrolled at community colleges (Baker-Smith et al., 2020; Blagg et al.,
2017; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019; Nikolaus et al., 2020). The #RealCollege Survey (2021)
16

highlighted students at two-year colleges were more likely than those at four-year colleges to
experience basic needs insecurity and were more likely to use available support. On average,
one-third of students experiencing basic needs insecurity at two-year colleges used campus
support; at four-year colleges, more than one quarter did so. The highest campus support use rate
(63%) was observed at two-year colleges.
Food Insecurity Among Community College Students
Studies have shown that community college students have higher rates of food insecurity
than students at four-year institutions (Blagg et al., 2017; Baker-Smith et al., 2020; Goldrick-Rab
et al., 2019; Nikolaus et al., 2020). Students attending community colleges tend to have greater
support needs than students attending four-year institutions and often receive less food assistance
(Goldrick-Rab, 2018). Despite the high food insecurity rates, few studies have been conducted
on the impact and prevalence of food insecurity on community college students (Broton &
Goldrick-Rab, 2018).
Community College Student Demographics
The frequency of food insecurity among community college students found in recent
studies demonstrates a compelling problem in higher education institutions (Glodrick-Rab et al.,
2019; Willis, 2019). Food insecurity in community college students is likely to increase as higher
education costs continue to rise and more students from historically marginalized groups
continue to pursue higher education (Willis, 2019). Community colleges have often played a key
role as a gateway to higher education. One main feature of community colleges is that they are
mass-access institutions, which means they are open to the whole community. They provide
various programs, lower tuition costs, and evening and weekend accessibility. Due to their
culture of “open access,” community colleges tend to attract many African American, Latina/o/x,
17

first-year, low-income, first-generation, older, working-class, and veteran students (Dougherty et
al., 2017). Community college provides access to college degrees, occupational education,
remedial education, and other educational services (Mintz, 2019). Table 1 shows the present
demographics of students attending community colleges in the United States (American
Association of Community Colleges, 2021).

Table 1
Demographics of Students Enrolled for Credit
Race
Percent enrolled at two-year
colleges
Asian/Pacific Islander 6%
Black/African-American 13%
Latino/a/x 27%
Multirace 4%
Native American 1%
White 44%

Note. Adapted from “Fast Facts 2021” by the American Association of Community Colleges,
2021. [ https://www.aacc.nche.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AACC_2021_FastFacts.pdf].

18

Table 2
Age Ranges of Students Enrolled
Age group (years) Percentages enrolled at 2-year colleges
Below 22 56%
22–39 36%
40 and above 8%

Note. Adapted from “Fast Facts 2021” by the American Association of Community Colleges,
2021. [ https://www.aacc.nche.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AACC_2021_FastFacts.pdf].

Table 3
Other Significant Demographics
Demographics Percentages enrolled at 2-year colleges
First generation 29
Non-U.S. citizen 8
Single parent 36
Students with disabilities 20
Veteran 5

Note. Adapted from “Fast Facts 2021” by the American Association of Community Colleges,
2021. [ https://www.aacc.nche.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AACC_2021_FastFacts.pdf].

The following data were collected regarding students receiving financial aid in 2015-
2016: 59% of students received aid, 34 % received federal grants, 15% received federal loans,
22% received state aid, and 7% received institutional aid. Sixty-two percent of full-time
19

community college students work, and 72% work part time (AACC, 2021). These statistics show
that community colleges draw more working-class, minority, and older students than four-year
public and private universities do.
Factors That Lead to High Food Insecurity Among Community College Students
Examining the high percentage of food insecurity at two-year institutions, the data
highlights the relationship between food security status and students’ characteristics (El Zein et
al., 2019). Based on data provided by the Association of American Community Colleges (2021)
and the #RealCollege survey (2019), significant associations were found between food insecurity
and race and ethnic background, parental education, Pell Grant status, place of residence, and
meal plan enrollment. Students who identified as Black or Latinx were at increased risk of food
insecurity, consistent with national data from the general population and findings from a large
study among college students. El Zein at al. (2019), Willis (2019), and Blumenthal and Chu
(2018) further confirmed that first-generation, low-income students, many of whom are enrolled
in community colleges, are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. More than 56% of all first-
generation students experienced food insecurity, compared to 45% of students whose parents
attended college who experienced food insecurity (Blumenthal & Chu, 2019). Additionally, the
data presented are consistent with existing research on the effects of food insecurity on students
of color, low socioeconomic status, and who have less secure living situations (Blumenthal &
Chu, 2018; El Zein et al., 2019; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019; Willis, 2019).
Among the factors that lead to high food insecurity in two-year institutions are the rising
cost of college and living expenses (Blumenthal & Chu, 2018). The #RealCollege survey (2019)
confirmed that most food-insecure students are working, receiving financial aid, and enrolled in
a meal plan, which tends also to be enrolled in two-year colleges. Due to the rising cost of
20

college and not having the funds to cover costly living expenses associated with student life,
many students consider food to be their most flexible expenditure when deciding where to reduce
expenses, which may contribute to the high rates of food insecurity at two-year institutions
(Blumenthal & Chu, 2018; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019). Henry (2017) highlighted that rising
college costs are exceeding available grant and loan support for students to fund their financial
obligations while in school. Some financially independent students cannot receive aid because
their parents’ financial information can limit access to federal student aid. Lastly, students do not
apply for SNAP, which could alleviate food insecurity because students do not think they qualify
for this federal program (Henry, 2017; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2016).
Impact of Food Insecurity on Community College Student Health and Well-Being
College students who are food insecure experience many negative health effects,
physically and mentally. Researchers have found that undergraduate and graduate students
experienced stress, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, lack of energy, sleep difficulties, irritability,
depression, headaches, and weight gain as a result of food insecurity (Bruening et al., 2017;
Leung et al., 2015; Meza et al., 2020). Meza et al. (2018) found that food insecurity impacts
psychosocial experiences for college students. Specifically, the authors identified seven themes
from their study on the effects of food insecurity on college students: (a) the stress of food
interfering with their daily lives, (b) fear of disappointing their families, (c) jealousy of other
students in more stable food and financial situations, (d) inabilities to develop meaningful social
relationships, (e) sadness, (f) hopelessness, and (g) frustration or anger toward institutions. \
Meza et al.’s (2018) themes are consistent with other research on the correlation on food
insecurity on health and well-being of college students. Bruening et al. (2017) found food
insecurity may be related to greater odds of depression among first-year college students. Payne-
21

Sturges et al. (2018) study of 237 undergraduates at a large public mid-Atlantic university found
(80%) of students were unable to eat balanced meals, (69 %) of students eating less, and (69%)
of students being hungry because there was not enough money for food during the past year
might undermine important academic outcomes. This small number of studies on food insecurity
on health and well-being size suggests more research is needed to confirm the correlation
between food insecurity and health among college students.
Impact of Food Insecurity on Community College Student Academic Success
The psychosocial and academic consequences of food insecurity are not mutually
separate, which means that “food insecurity can increase psychological distress and worsen
mental health. This relationship can directly and indirectly affect academic performance” (Meza
et al., 2018, p. 1719). Several researchers have found that food insecurity is correlated with lower
grades in college (El Zein et al., 2019; Henry, 2017; Maroto et al., 2014; Meza et al., 2018).
Maroto et al. (2014) examined the relationship between food insecurity and student grade point
average (GPA) at two-year colleges and found that food-insecure students are more likely than
food-secure students to report a low GPA (2.0–2.49) versus a higher GPA (3.5–4.0). While the
authors did not say food insecurity directly causes poorer academic performance, they found
there is a relationship between the two variables that need to be explored further.
The results of the #RealCollege (2021) supported the findings of Maroto et al. (2014) and
Meza et al. (2017): students who experience food insecurity or homelessness report grades of C
or below at slightly higher rates than students who do not have these experiences (Goldrick-Rab,
2019). Silva et al. (2017) found that food insecurity may lead to physical factors, such as fatigue,
difficulty concentrating, anxiety, irritability, general ability to learn new material, behavioral
difficulties, and emotional problems, which can impact students’ performance in the classroom.
22

In confirming the impact of food insecurity on the psychosocial and academic achievement of
community college students in their research, Silva et al. (2017) cited Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy
of needs in defining the impact of food insecurity. The effects of food insecurity—hunger,
fatigue, behavioral, or factors related to lack of food—can ultimately affect students’ academic
performance (El Zein et al., 2019; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019; Maroto et al., 2014; Silva et al.,
2017).
Food Insecurity Interventions
Reducing food insecurity at two-year institutions requires a universal approach in all
higher education sectors. The rise of food insecurity on campus has led many colleges and
universities to adopt strategies to aid students struggling with food insecurity. Broton and
Goldrick-Rab (2016) identified the top five solutions for addressing food insecurity in college
campuses: (a) CFPs, (b) SNAP, (c) food recovery from dining halls, (d) reduced-cost meal plans,
and (e) meal vouchers. According to Martinez et al. (2022) and the #RealCollege Survey (2021),
two of the five solutions presented by Broton and Goldrick-Rab (2016) have been most
frequently used by students—(a) CFPs and (b) SNAP—and play an essential role in supporting
students, especially those with food shortages.
Food Resource Room
One of the most common approaches that two-year colleges and universities use to
address food insecurity is creating a CFP or food resource room. In a national survey of CFPs by
the College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA) and the Hope Center for College,
Community, and Justice, Goldrick-Rab et al. (2018) found that 640 participating institutions
were operating CFPs. Food pantries are a type of food assistance service that collects food
donations from the community and redistributes food to those in need at no cost (El Zein et al.,
23

2018; Martinez et al., 2022). The creation and use of CFPs is a recent phenomenon (El Zein et
al., 2018). Although CFPs are easily accessible resources for college students, 3,765 students
from 34 college campuses and 12 states reported that only 14% of food-insecure students had
used a CFP (Dubick et al., 2016). Dubick et al. (2016) found food insecure students’ lack of
logistical information on pantry policies and hours of operations as reasons for not using
pantries. In addition, students chose not to use the CFP because of the stigma associated with
food pantries (Dubick et al., 2016; El Zein et al., 2018).
The high prevalence of food insecurity among college students has led to the
establishment of student-serving CFPs or food resource rooms, with 700 campuses currently
operating or planning to open CFPs (Dubick et al., 2016; Martinez et al., 2022; Schweitzer et al.,
2022). Campus food pantries have become one of the fastest-growing movements to fight hunger
on college campuses. In 2009, there were fewer than 10; at the time of this study, more than 350
existed.
Campus food resource rooms’ existence can be attributed to the ease of operation due to
their flexibility in operating styles and limited need for physical infrastructure (Dubick et al.,
2016). Students can use CFPs easily because they do not have to travel off campus to receive
food benefits. Besides food, many pantries stock clothing, children’s items, and school supplies.
Nonperishable items, grab-and-go snacks, and basic hygiene products are common items
requested by students (Dubick et al., 2016; Martinez et al., 2022; Schweitzer et al., 2022).
A report by Swipe Out Hunger (2022) of 352 U.S. college and university pantries found
that pantries continue to be the most resilient resources in the fight against student food
insecurity. The report highlighted that over one million meals/pounds of food have been
24

distributed to network pantries over the past year to over 150,000 people. Lastly, almost 7,000
students have been referred to SNAP (Schweitzer et al.,2022).
Martinez et al. (2022) found that public-university system students who accessed CFPs
showed improvements in sleep, mental health, and physical health. The report showed that CFP
visits were linked to self-reported improvements in student health, such as perceived health,
mental health, and sleep. Specifically, students who visited the CFP more frequently reported
improved depressive symptoms and self-perceived health after accessing the CFP. Furthermore,
students who made more visits to the CFP reported better sleep sufficiency, which was related to
improved depressive symptoms and improved self-perceived health. A study conducted by
Taniey and Leyden (2022) at three public universities in New York found that students
experienced CFPs as a valuable and dependable source for obtaining food when funds are low.
These findings suggest CFPs may play a critical role in helping students meet their basic needs.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Another strategy two-year institutions use to address food insecurity is helping eligible
students apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). According to the
Swipe Out Hunger (2021) report of 352 college campus pantries, 41% assist students in
navigating federal, state, and local food assistance programs to supplement their financial aid
(Blumenthal & Chu, 2018; El Zein et al., 2018; Twill et al., 2016). The state of California has
implemented a system that supports the state’s version of SNAP with electronic benefit transfer
cards to reduce the stigma associated with providing food assistance (Blumenthal & Chu, 2018).
Moreover, two-year colleges’ partnerships with local food banks allow supplementary support in
furnishing supplies in respective CFPs (Blumenthal & Chu, 2018; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2018;
Woods et al., 2016).
25

Some schools offer students the option to use their leftover meal plan points to share or
donate their meal swipes to peers in need (Blumenthal & Chu, 2018). Founded by college
students at the University of California at Los Angeles, the Swipe Out Hunger program worked
with campuses to provide extra dining hall meal swipes can donate to their peers (Goldrick-Rab
et al., 2018). Other campuses have worked with food service providers to offer meal vouchers,
and some students have developed meal sharing to guide students to available food on campus
(Goldrick-Rab et al., 2018).
Food Resource Managers
The presence of food resource rooms on college campuses has steadily risen, and the
need to serve food-insecure students has become increasingly important. As more colleges adopt
food resource rooms, the need for effective food resource managers will continue to increase.
The Swipe Out Hunger Survey (2021) report of 352 college pantries found that 47% of pantry
staff are designated, paid, nonstudent staff, and 61% are designated, paid, student staff.
Hammons (2021) found that most CFPs are managed by student affairs staff at Louisiana
colleges and universities, and very few are managed by staff with backgrounds in psychology,
social work, nutrition, or dietetics.
The Swipe Out Hunger survey found that the qualifications of food resource managers
vary from institution to institution. In each food pantry, there is a different organizational
structure, including the number of employees and volunteers, the length of a typical volunteer
shift, the age of the volunteers, the training requirements, and the volunteer requirements (Tainey
& Leyden, 2022; Swipe Out Hunger, 2021). Yan et al. (2020) found that managers act as
gatekeepers for changes in food pantries, including ordering food from food banks and selecting
pantry items based on the community's needs.
26

In a study of students who accessed CFPs at three public universities in New York,
Taniey and Leyden (2022) identified the role that food resource managers play in alleviating
food insecurity as one of their major strengths associated with campus-based food assistance
programs. According to their study, food pantry program managers played a crucial role in
decreasing the stigma associated with food pantry usage. Food pantry managers were actively
involved in securing funding, conducting outreach, and overseeing the organization and logistics
of the food pantries (Hammons, 2021; Tainey & Leyden, 2022). Despite the rise of CFPs on
higher education campuses, there is a lack of study focused on the staff responsible for operating
these facilities. The limited studies demonstrating the positive impact of food resource managers
on supporting food-insecure students highlight the need to investigate the role that food resource
managers can play in alleviating food insecurity.
Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research Model
The theoretical framework used in this study is the Consolidated Framework for
Implementation Research (CFIR. Damschroder et al. (2009) developed the CFIR to promote
implementation theory development and to examine intervention practices by exploring what
works and why, across multiple contexts. The CFIR is one of the most widely used frameworks
to guide the assessment of contextual determinants of implementation practices (Damschroder et
al., 2009; Damschroder et al., 2022; Keith et al., 2017). The CFIR was developed to
systematically evaluate multilevel implementation contexts to identify factors that may affect the
implementation and effectiveness of interventions (Keith et al., 2017). The CFIR is intended to
be flexible in the application so that researchers can tailor the framework to the specific
intervention design, factors, and context being studied (Keith et al., 2017). The CFIR is useful in
assessing potential barriers and facilitators in implementation practices (Damschroder et al.,
27

2022). Table 4 presents the CFIR model’s five domain settings. This study used the CFIR to
examine the effectiveness of food resource rooms by exploring food resource managers’
experience, the institution’s climate, and implementation practices in serving food-insecure
students.

28

Table 4
Consolidated Framework for Implementation Domains and Constructs
CFIR domain CFIR constructs Description in context of the
study
Intervention characteristics Intervention source Features of an intervention
practice that might influence
implementation. One example
is the food resource manager’s
perception about the relative
advantage of food resource
room in addressing food
insecurity.
Evidence strength and
quality
Relative advantage
Adaptability
Trialability
Complexity
Cost
Outer setting Patient needs and resources Features of external factors or
environment that might
influence food resource
managers’ implementation of
resource room such as
external policies and
incentives.
Cosmopolitanism
Peer pressure
External policies and
incentives
Inner setting Structural characteristics Features of implementing of the
implementing organizations
that might influence
implementation. One example
is the manager’s perception of
institution’s culture influence
on food resource room.
Networks and
communications
Culture
Implementation climate
Characteristics of
individuals
Knowledge and beliefs about
the intervention
The characteristics of the
individuals involved in the
implementation process that
might influence the
intervention. For example, the
manager’s knowledge and
confidence in the
effectiveness of the
intervention.
Self-efficacy
Individual stage of change
Individual identification with
organization
Other personal attributes
Process Planning This domain focuses on
strategies and tactics that
influence the implantation
process through planning,
execution, and evaluation.
Engaging
Executing
Reflecting and evaluation

29

Conceptual Framework
Using the CFIR as the foundation for this study, this research explored CFP managers’
practices and experiences in the context of their abilities to assist students with food insecurity.
The three domains of CFIR explored in this study are (a) intervention characteristics, (b) inner
setting, and (c) process. As part of the intervention characteristics domain, the study explored
how the food program’s characteristics, such as food resource rooms’ design and structure,
impact the food resource managers’ abilities to assist students with food insecurity. Using the
inner setting domain, the research explored how the community college district’s culture,
climate, structure, and readiness impact the food resource managers’ abilities to assist students
with food insecurity. The latter domain explored managers’ perspectives on how the process of
food program implementation, such as engagement, implementation, and evaluation of the food
resource room, is used to assist students with food insecurity. Lastly, this study examined key
components that could assist food resource managers in resolving barriers preventing CFPs from
supporting food-insecure students at 2-year colleges. Figure 1 introduces the conceptual
framework that will be used in this study.

30

Figure 1
Conceptual Framework

Note. Adapted from Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to
produce actionable findings: A rapid-cycle evaluation approach to improving implementation”
by R. E. Keith, J. C. Crosson, A. S. O’Malley, D. Cromp, D., & E. F. Taylor, 2017,
Implementation Science, 12(1), p. 2. Copyright 2017 by BioMed Central.

Food
insecurity
resources at
two-year
colleges
Process of
Implementation
A manager's perspective
on the planning,
engagement,
implementation, and
evaluation of the food
resource room to assist
food insecure students.
Intervention
Characteristics
A manager's
perception of the
features of food
resource rooms that
have a bearing on their
effectiveness in
alleviating food
insecurity.
Inner Setting
The managers'
perceptions of how their
own institution's
culture, climate, and
structure affect the food
resource room's ability
to assist food insecure
students
31

Conclusion
In the United States, food insecurity has become a significant problem at 2- and 4-year
institutions. Food insecurity on community college campuses affects students’ physical and
mental well-being and academic success. Higher education campuses use campus food resource
rooms and SNAP to support food-insecure students. In this study, food resource managers’
practices and experiences in managing food resource rooms were assessed for their impact on 2-
year community college students.
.

32

Chapter Three: Methodology
This chapter describes the qualitative design of this study, including methodology,
artifact analysis, and interview protocol. In this section, the researcher’s positionality and the
ethical approach to conducting the study are also highlighted. This study aimed to conduct an
exploratory study on the efficacy of food insecurity resources at two-year colleges through
understanding the practices and experiences of food resource managers. The research questions
for this study were developed to explore barriers and facilitators that food resource managers
face in managing CFPs to reduce food insecurity at two-year community colleges.
Overview of Methodology
This study used qualitative, semi-structured interviews to obtain the data to answer the
research questions posed in this study. This format allowed the researcher to study the emerging
worldviews of managers and discover supplementary ideas on the topic (Creswell. 2014;
Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). A qualitative semi-structured interview allowed the researcher to
explore the three domains of CFIR: (a) intervention characteristics, (b) inner setting, and (c)
process of implementation. The stakeholders for this research are managers of campus food
resources from the 10 SWCCDs in the southwestern United States. Most participants were not in
senior leadership roles in the organization but did have a significant role in managing food
pantry operations. Food resource managers oversaw pantry inventory, facility management,
assessment, and student engagement. However, their authority often didn’t extend to budgetary
decisions. As a result, food pantry managers typically had limited control over budget allocation
for the pantry, making them reliant on both external and internal support for marketing and
funding.
33

The Researcher
The researcher’s positionality affects the design and methodology of qualitative research, so
it is necessary to identify this positionality at the beginning of the project. Foote and Bartell (2011)
contended that researchers’ positionalities and the personal experiences that shape those
positionalities may influence their approaches to research encounters, their choices of processes, and
their interpretations of findings. Researchers’ positionalities may impact what researchers bring to
research encounters, their process choices, and their interpretations of research outcomes.
My position as a higher education administrator gives me the privilege of access to policy-
making standards in a higher education setting and allows me to actively shape these policies. My
current role as a supervisor of a food resource manager at my own institution gives me a unique
perspective on the duties, responsibilities, and challenges associated with the position. Collaborating
closely with my resource manager has given me firsthand insight into the day-to-day demands placed
on food resource managers to support the needs of students with food insecurity. From managing the
budget to ensuring the availability of diverse, nutritious food, this dual role has provided me with a
holistic view of policy formulation and implementation to the operational intricacies of the food
resource room. I acknowledge that as a fellow college administrator in the same community college
district as my research participants, my current role may influence this study. Therefore, I
purposefully identified participants with whom I had not previously established relationships.
Participants were provided Information Sheet for Exempt Studies form prior to the start of the
interview. Due to the potential sensitivity of comments that might have arisen during interviews,
participants’ comments were made confidential. I also strove to be mindful of my bias and
positionality in this study.
34

Data Source: Interviews
I used qualitative interviews to gather data for this study. Merriam and Tisdell (2016)
stated that the main purpose of interviews is to gain a deeper understanding of participants’ lived
experiences and that they are used in studies when people’s behavior, feelings, or interpretations
of the world cannot be directly observed. This study relied primarily on verbal information
gathered from participant interviews. Patton (2015) shared that the purpose of interviewing is to
allow the researcher to understand the other person’s perspective.
For this study, I used interviews to learn from food resource managers about the factors
that impact their abilities to assist students with food insecurity. Participants were provided
opportunities to participate in face-to-face, in-person interview or Zoom interview. I analyzed
transcripts to explore emerging themes that arose. Appendix A outlines the interview questions.
Participating Stakeholders
The target population for this study was food resource managers at the 10 SWCCD
located in southwestern United States. The food resource managers oversaw the food resource
rooms, including staffing responsibilities, tracking visits, and points of contact for partnership
with local food banks. Participants were selected due to their roles as food resource managers at
the 10 SWCCD and were recruited via email. I also reached out to managers and directors of
student life at the 10 institutions to request assistance in obtaining permission to interview these
participants.
Instrumentation
For this study, I conducted face-to-face or virtual interviews based on participants’
preferences. I used 14 open-ended questions with each interviewee during a session lasting
between 45 and 60 minutes. The qualitative interview questions were adapted from CFIR
35

guidebook. Each of the questions was designed to meet the three domains of CFIR: intervention
characteristics, inner setting, and process of implementation (CFIR Guide, 2022). The CFIR
Guide Book domains provided examples that were adapted for this study:
1. Intervention characteristics setting, which looks at the aspects of food insecurity
intervention that may impact implementation success, including its perceived internal or
external origin, evidence quality and strength, relative advantage, adaptability,
trialability, complexity, design quality and presentation, and cost of implementation
(CFIR Guide, 2022).
2. Inner setting: characteristics of the implementing organizations, such as the institution’s
culture, structures, leadership engagement, and implementation climate (CFIR Guide,
2022).
3. Process of implementation: stages of implementation such as planning, execution, and
evaluating, and the presence of key intervention stakeholders such as food resource
managers, university leaders, stakeholder engagement, and faculty (CFIR Guide, 2022).
Appendix A presents the research questions and interview questions linked to CFIR. This
qualitative method of using interviews provided me with direct quotes to consider food resource
managers’ knowledge, perspectives, motivations, and organizational influences related to the
management and services of food resource rooms.
Data Collection Procedures
Qualitative research can provide an in-depth perspective on the problem of practice
(Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Data collection occurred during the months of January and
February 2023. Individual invitations to participate were sent to the managers’ academic email
addresses. Email invitations included the purpose of the study, an Information Sheet for Exempt
36

Studies contextualized for this study, procedures, length of interview, contact information of the
researcher, statements about volunteer participation, statements highlighting volunteer
participation, and a statement of confidentiality.
The interviews were conducted either face-to-face in person or via the Zoom virtual
platform. The use of the Zoom platform alleviated location and COVID-19 safety constraints.
The duration of the in-person and virtual interview was 45 to 60 minutes. When the participant
confirmed their agreement to participate in the study via email, a reply email was sent, offering
potential dates and times for the interview and providing the participant with an option to
indicate their preferred modality for the interview.
When a participant selected an in-person interview, the primary recording device was the
researcher’s smartphone. The secondary device was a digital voice recorder. The recording of the
interview was uploaded to a secure cloud storage system.
When a participant requested a Zoom interview, I sent a private secure Zoom link 48
hours prior to the interview. A virtual waiting room for the participants was provided prior to the
start of the interview to ensure the Zoom recording and transcription option was working. Once
the participant logged into the secure web link, I provided prompts prior to the start of the
interview and requested the participant’s approval prior to starting the recording and
transcription feature of Zoom. I turned on the recording feature and used a transcription service
to record the conversation during the interview. I stored the interview recordings on my laptop
with a dual authentication password to ensure confidentiality and security. I took notes
throughout the interview to record the participant’s tone, body language, and additional
questions.
37

Data Analysis
A key component of the data analysis is to derive meaning from the information I
gathered from the interviews (Merrian & Tisdell, 2016). I included data from participant
interviews in the qualitative data for this research. I examined the interview transcripts for
coding and theme identification. Additionally, I documented thoughts, perceptions, and initial
conclusions about the data in relation to the conceptual framework and research questions. I used
coding and theme analysis to gain insights into food resource managers' practices and
experiences and address the research questions.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) shared that a research study must present insights and
conclusions that resonate with practitioners, readers, and other researchers to impact practice or
theory in a field. Patton (2015) identified the researcher's credibility and rigorous methods as
essential components to ensure the credibility of qualitative research (Merriam & Tisdell, 2018).
I carefully considered consent, confidentiality, and power dynamics for this study. I interviewed
10 resource managers and provided a saturation of information to confirm emergent findings. I
also used interview transcript verification as another strategy. This process entailed sharing
transcripts with participants to ensure their answers were what they intended to communicate.
Ethics
I carefully considered consent, confidentiality, and the power dynamics involved during
the study. Rubin and Rubin (2012) shared three important principles to highlight when
conducting a study: (a) respect the participants, (b) do not pressure participants, and (c) do no
harm to participants. To follow these three principles, I provided the Information Sheet for
Exempt Studies contextualized for this study to the participants before starting the study. I
38

highlighted that participation in the study was voluntary. I used coding to keep the participants’
names and identifying information confidential. No data were gathered before Institutional
Review Board (IRB) approval from the University of Southern California and the participants’
district community college office. Finally, I used the IRB Collaborative Institutional Training
Initiative (CITI) human subjects research module to refresh my training in conducting ethical
research studies.

39

Chapter Four: Findings

The purpose of this research was to conduct an exploratory study about community college
food resource managers’ practices and experiences in the context of their ability to assist students
with food insecurity. Qualitative interviews were conducted with food resource managers of ten
community colleges in the southwestern United States. The responses collected from the food
resource managers provided rich context on the role and impact of the food resource rooms at
their respective institutions.
Utilizing the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (Damschroder et al.,
2009) domains of intervention characteristics, inner setting, and process, the interviews provided
insights into the implementation of food resources by food resource managers to serve food-
insecure students. The following research questions guided this study:
1. How do the food program characteristics impact the managers’ ability to assist students
with food insecurity?
2. How does the community college district’s culture, climate, structure and readiness
impact the managers’ ability to assist students with food insecurity?
3. How does the process of food program implementation influence the managers’ ability to
assist students with food insecurity?
4. What recommendations do Food Resource Managers make for effective design and
implementation of food insecurity intervention practices?
Participants

The study participants provided rich perspectives on the impact and effectiveness of the
food pantry in serving students with food insecurity. Each participant was assigned a pseudonym
to protect their identity. The ten food resource manager positions are under the Student Life
40

department whose responsibilities include managing the food pantry, serving students, and
securing funding for the resource room. The ten managers differed in terms of their position
levels. Eight of the ten participants held Director/Manager positions, and two had entry-level
positions. The participants had an average of 11.2 years of experience managing the food pantry.
Three managers worked at institutions that enrolled 10,000 + students. Three managers worked
at campuses that enrolled 5,000 + students. Four managers worked at institutions that enrolled
1000+ students. Nine of the ten institutions at which the participants worked are designated as
Hispanic-serving institutions. This designation from the U.S. Department of Education
recognizes accredited degree-granting institutions with 25 percent or more undergraduate
students identifying as Hispanic or Latino. Seven of the ten community colleges were located in
urban settings, two were located in residential locations, and one was located in rural area. Table
5 presents an overview of the participants.

41

Table 5

Food Resource Managers

Participant
pseudonym
Years Title Institution size
Melanie 6 Mid-Level 15,876
Coreen 13 Mid-Level 12,726
Mary 10 Mid-Level 4582
Elizabeth 8 Mid-Level 14974
Barry 19 Mid-Level 8780
Holly 15 Mid-Level 1000
Ben 21 Mid-Level 3349
Brittney 2 Entry-Level 1000
Chris 15 Mid-Level 5537
Dinah 3 Entry Level 7014

General Findings About Food Pantry Creation and Development
This section contains general findings that emerged but did not pertain to a specific
research question. However, the findings are important to highlight in the context of
understanding the work of food resource managers. The study provided valuable insight into the
history and evolution of food pantries at each institution and student utilization rates. Table 6
presents an overview of the research questions, themes, number of respondents, and
representative quotes.

42

Table 6
Findings
Research question Themes N/% Representative quote

General Findings

How do the food program
characteristics impact the
managers’ ability to assist
students with food
insecurity?

Student-started history

Evolution of food pantry
development

Service location
oversight

High utilization levels

Immediacy

Evolving, flexible and
needs responsive nature

5

7

10

8

10

10

“The student government
wanted to start a food
pantry on campus. And
so they really put
together a couple of
shelves and kind of
marketed it out to
campus”

“I came back to our
campus and just
basically started our
pantry out of a cabinet
space in one of our
offices”

“Our administration
made the decision to
relocate the pantry both
physically and into our
department.”

“Our food insecurity in
this area is very high”

“I think our food pantry
is the most comfortable
and accessible of the
three resources”

“We are willing to come
in on a Saturday if a
student has no other
resource to”

43

How does the community
college district’s culture,
climate, structure, and
readiness impact the
managers’ ability to assist
students with food
insecurity?

How does the process of
food program
implementation influence the
managers’ ability to assist
students with food
insecurity?
Supportive organizational
culture from district and
institution are key to food
resource managers’
success
Building capacity for
internal and external
partnerships are essential
in food pantry expansion
and effectiveness
Strategic engagement
with faculty, intentional
placement of food pantry
location, and assessment
and evaluation of student
usage by food resource
managers influence the
success or failure in
assisting students with
food insecurity

10

10

10

“I think from a district
level, district has done a
great job”

“We built partnerships
with Matthews Crossing,
who also will deliver
food to us once a week”

“I've taken the show on
the road and so there are
some faculty members
who invite me to come
to their classrooms”

What recommendations do
Food Resource Managers
make for effective design
and implementation of food
insecurity intervention
practices?

Provide Dedicated
Resources and Funding
as Key to Sustainable
Food Pantry Success

Stronger Marketing is
Needed to Increase
Pantry Usage

Increasing Pantry Space
and Pantry Placement in
High Visibility Locations

Comprehensive
Assessment and Data
Collection Are Needed to
10

10

6

8

“In looking at food
insecurity, better
facilities, establishing a
line item to provide
those food items.”

“The stronger the
messaging, the more
likely the students will
identify and understand
the importance of this
area”

“I think it needs a better
location, a better and
bigger location in order
to make it more student
friendly”

“We don't have any data
that says the students
who are getting
resources from our
44

Evaluate Food Pantry
Effectiveness

pantry is helping them in
this way or that way.”

Student-Started History
Food resource managers highlighted that student involvement played a crucial role in the
development and evolution of their pantry. Five of the ten managers shared that their food pantry
began as a student-led involvement, such as student government-led initiative, sociology class
project, and students waiting for food after programs. Elizabeth, a manager who inherited the
food pantry in her department, shared, “This is probably like 12, 15 years ago, the student
government wanted to start a food pantry on campus. And so they really put together a couple of
shelves and marketed it out to campus.” She shared that the pantry may have originated in a
different department, but the students initiated the request to move it over to the student life
department.
Mary, a manager who had been managing her food pantry for ten years, highlighted how
a partnership with a sociology class led to the creation of the food pantry in her respective
institution:
Our food pantry, one of the social sociology classes, wanted to do a food drive and then
address food insecurities. Once the drive was completed, we needed to find a place to
house everything. So we decided that Student Life was the place to do that. And that's
where it all started.
Evolution of Food Pantry Development
Seven of the ten managers in the study shared that they were directly responsible for the
creation and design of their respective food pantries. Participants in the study described how the
45

pantry evolved from a small storage closet to housing food drives and donations, eventually
leading to the creation of a food resource room. Five managers shared that their pantry began as
a small cabinet of food on campus that eventually evolved into a food pantry. Barry, manager for
nineteen years, described how his pantry started on campus after researching pantries at other
sites. He shared, “I came back to our campus and just basically started our pantry out of a cabinet
space in one of our offices. And I went to the store myself and bought a bunch of the food
items.” Coreen, another manager who was instrumental in designing the food pantry at her
campus, echoed a similar experience. She added, “We had a cabinet that we would bring, would
bring food over from it to put in buckets in the leadership center, and people would just come in
and get it. Okay. And we soon outgrew that process.”
For some participants, the food pantry's creation started as an outreach to support
students experiencing food insecurity. The resource managers shared those consistent requests
for food at their campus prompted them to create the food pantry to serve their food-insecure
students. Coreen described how her department’s frontline contact with students led her to see
their food insecurity needs. She stated, “We have forward-facing contact with students, and we
have always been on the receiving end of, I have no food at home. And that is one of the reasons
why we were passing food out the back door.” Five participants shared that the impact of this
food resource in serving the students led to its expansion and establishment of additional support
services for students experiencing food insecurity.
Service Location Oversight
All of the participants shared that their food pantries are under the oversight of the
Student Life department and division of Student Affairs. The Student Life departments are
primarily responsible for addressing student needs and have a comprehensive understanding of
46

student needs. Dinah, a staff member who has overseen the food pantry for three years, shared
that Student Life’s engagement with students led to her campus pantry being moved from
another office to her department. Dinah mentioned that “our administration made the decision to
relocate the pantry both physically and into our department.” Similarly, Coreen described how
the pantry began in her department. Coreen shared, “Being in student life, we have forward-
facing contact with students and we have always been on the receiving end of, I have no food at
home.” Coreen highlighted that her supervisors placed the food pantry management in her
department. Coreen stated, “My administration or my VPSA, they talked to counseling and a
bunch of other people. I wasn't even consulted that this pantry was going to be mine.”
The study participants reported that due to the existing student partnership, staff, and
facility resources, Student Life departments have become the overarching unit that oversees any
food pantry initiative. Overall, nine of the ten participants noted that at the time of the study,
most food pantries continued to be managed by the Student Life department due to the proximity
of service to students.
High Utilization Levels
Eight of the ten participants shared high utilization levels of their food pantry on campus.
The eight food managers who work at community colleges that serve high numbers of diverse
student populations reported relying on food pantries to support students with food insecurity. In
addition, eight participants shared that their campus usage data indicated high levels of use. Eight
managers also indicated a high prevalence of food insecurity within their institution and pointed
to the importance of the food pantry in addressing food insecurity. Mary shared high levels of
use for her pantry, “Our food insecurity in this area is very high… And I, I'm waiting for some
47

numbers to come in, but we have homeless students in our area. They're definitely living in
shelters, or I've had some that live in tents.”
According to Barry, food pantry utilization numbers increase when students' household members
are considered when students record how many individuals are served food the pantry provides.
Barry pointed out that his students come from all age groups. He shared that traditional and non-
traditional student from various ethnic backgrounds have utilized the pantry to access food and
other resources. In describing the primary users of her campus food pantry, Coreen shared that
“the ones who use it the most are students.” She also shared that the same students who apply for
student emergency funds, grocery cards, and bus passes are the same students who utilize the
food pantry.
Research Question 1: How do the Food Program Characteristics Impact the Managers'
Ability to Assist Students with Food Insecurity?
The two themes that emerged in the study of the pantry’s characteristics that impacted
food managers’ ability to assist students were 1) immediacy and 2) the evolving, flexible, and
needs-responsive nature of the pantries. Having immediate access to food and being flexible and
responsive to the population's needs allowed managers to tailor their strategies to meet the needs
of the student population they serve. The managers shared actions and strategies they utilized
through the pantry to serve the immediate needs of students with food insecurity.
Immediacy
All participants highlighted that immediate access to food is a clear advantage of food
pantry interventions through “grab and go” features, flexible store hours, and a centralized
location that allows for timely access to food. Britney, food resource manager who solely
oversees the student life unit on her campus, shared how her department facilitates student ease
48

of access to food and other supplies by placing it in the front of the food pantry. Brittney stated
“we keep a grab-and-go cart up front by our information desks, so as students are walking by as
they need snacks or those kinds of things, just to get them through the day, they can grab and
go.” Moreover, she explained that her office also provides food bags containing food and
personal hygiene supplies for two or three days for students who are in a rush and will last a few
days.
Ben, a manager for twenty-one years who helped design the food pantry on his campus,
shared that there was intentionality in their food pantry design to make it welcoming and
accessible to students. He shared, “I think our food pantry is the most comfortable and accessible
of the three resources. And so they know they can come, they know they can shop, they know
that again, they can get a snack a day.” Melanie, a food resource manager at a remote online
college, highlighted how her department partnered with Feed Children Everywhere, a local non-
profit dedicated to ending food insecurity, to send a food box directly to students’ homes.
According to Melanie, this feature was crucial during the pandemic in helping address food
insecurity for students who could not travel to campus to access the in-person food
pantry. Melanie detailed how this partnership works. Melanie mentioned, “We just go online and
we submit the request, we put in the student's address information, and immediately within the
next day or two, the student will receive a food box.” She also described that in the past, the food
box was only enough for a month, but the new food boxes that students received will last for a
couple of months and be able to support the student’s family members who also rely on food
from the pantry.

49

Evolving, Flexible, and Needs-Responsive Nature
In addition to immediacy, another key aspect of the food pantry’s characteristic that all of
the managers reported as helping them in providing food for insecure students is the pantry’s
evolving, flexible, and needs-responsive nature. All food resource managers reported utilizing
the pantry to serve students at their respective campuses by catering to the needs of their student
population through adaptation of food offered at the pantry, flexible hours of operations, and
evolution of service such as food delivery. All of the participants stated that they employed
flexible and adaptable hours of operation for their pantry to support their food-insecure
students. Mary, a food resource manager of ten years, shared their approach, “We are willing to
come in on a Saturday if a student has no other resource to, so it's basically open almost all the
time… I think that meeting the need immediately is probably one of the biggest things.”
Elizabeth highlighted the diverse student body using their food pantry and encouraged
her team to provide more food selection and other resource availability. She shared, “We've been
trying to focus a little bit more on some international and spicy foods because of a request from
some of our international students.” She added that students had requested more flour, salt, and
ingredients they could bake at home. She reported that her team had also added more cleaning
supplies, hygiene products, and school supplies for the students in the pantry.
The other feature shared by all of the food resource managers was the variety of food
options made available in the pantry to meet the varying student needs. Coreen shared, “So we
have a variety of food. We've got the stuff for the people who are gluten intolerant. We've got
vegan-friendly vegetarian options.” Barry pointed to the variety of food offered at his pantry to
address the different needs of his students. Barry shared, “We do look to keep a good stock of
items both that you could take home to create meals for a family and those smaller items that you
50

can just heat up right there on the spot.” Brittany noted that their unit stocks food intentionally
based on the amenities that students might not have access to in their residences. Brittany shared,
“so giving them a bag of pasta is not necessarily the best thing for them because they don't have
stoves.”
Participants shared additional examples of creating an environment where students are
comfortable sharing their needs. Brittany shared, “Our students definitely feel comfortable
enough to come to us and ask for the type of support they require.” Elizabeth mentioned how
they take students’ feedback to stock certain food items they need. She shared, “so usually they
were asking for brown rice and for the flour and the salt. I'm trying to think, sugar. So those are
some of the requests offhand that I can think of.” All food managers shared that they were able
to address student food insecurity by providing immediate access to food, providing highly
desired food items, and offering flexible pantry hours in each of their stores.
Research Question 2: How does the Community College District’s Culture, Climate,
Structure, and Readiness Impact the Managers’ Ability to Assist Students with Food
Insecurity?
All of the participants shared that the community college district’s culture, climate,
structure, and readiness impact their ability to assist students with food insecurity. The following
themes emerged in response to the second research question: 1) supportive organizational
culture from district and institution are key to food resource managers’ success in utilizing food
resource rooms to address food insecurity, and 2) building capacity for internal and external
partnerships are essential in food pantry expansion and effectiveness. The participants discussed
how these themes impacted their work as food resource managers.
51

Supportive Organizational Culture from District and Institution is Key to Food Resource
Managers’ Success in Utilizing Resource Rooms to Address Food Insecurity
All managers highlighted faculty support and administration buy-in as instrumental in
pantry growth and development. Eight participants indicated that awareness of food insecurity as
a campus-wide and district-wide issue supported their efforts to address food insecurity on their
campus. They indicated that a supportive culture was critical in the early stages of the pantry
creation. Barry, who was responsible for implementing the pantry, shared how culture from his
institution to the district was critical in creating the food pantry and supporting students with
food insecurity. He emphasized the supportive culture when he shared, “I think from a district
level, district has done a great job the last few years of emphasizing food insecurity and trying to
put things in place to address it by pushing the collaborative efforts with St. Mary's food pantry.”
Barry shared that his campus has been very supportive of his efforts to develop the food pantry
from the top down. He mentioned that his president promoted information to the campus
regarding food insecurity, and his vice president and deans are ensuring that information is
communicated to the campus.
Brittney highlighted that the support that she has received from her supervisor had
impacted her work with the food pantry to support students. She shared, “I think our organization
here definitely is all about developing a full community of care and really providing as much
access for the need as possible.” She stated that her department gets all the support from their
administration to make the changes they need so long as they can justify that it is student-
focused.
In addition, all of the managers highlighted the district's financial support through
foundation grants and distribution of grocery store gift cards as effective in supporting their work
52

with students. Two managers, Melanie and Mary, highlighted the recognition of food insecurity
by the district as instrumental in enhancing the pantry’s effort to support students as it provided
additional support, such as emergency funds and gift cards. Mary shared, “I think the fact that
they’re recognizing it’s so huge.” Melanie stated that gift cards and emergency funds
supplemented the support given to students through food box delivery for her online students.
All managers acknowledged the institution and district’s support to provide SNAP
workshops, housing resources, and additional funding as indicators of a supportive
culture. However, all of the study participants highlighted that more support is still needed from
their institution and district office to continue their work in supporting students with food
insecurity. Chris shared that students face various challenges, including transportation, housing,
and financial assistance, so providing holistic support is important in supporting community
college students.
Building Capacity for Internal and External Partnerships is Essential in Food Pantry
Expansion and Effectiveness
Managers highlighted the need for internal partnerships with faculty and staff and
external partnerships with food banks and campus centers to restock food pantries. All managers
shared that ensuring internal and external partnerships is important to managing the food pantry.
The partnership with faculty and staff was emphasized by all of the managers as key agents in
the creation and current success of the food pantry.
Managers shared that partnership with faculty and staff was instrumental in helping
restock food for the pantry and early adoption of students. Chris highlighted the support he
received from faculty and staff on campus in stocking his pantry. Chris shared, “our campus
employees are extraordinarily generous. So up until the HERF funds, we could stock a pantry
53

within a day or two based on faculty and staff donations.” Furthermore, all managers discussed
how faculty and staff were instrumental in raising awareness of the food pantry as a student
resource. Mary explained how faculty and staff support the pantry through food drives and
funding donations. Mary stated, “So our faculty and staff are our big donors. They're our big
donors. Even through our Gateway gift program, they give me, anytime I go up and ask if I'm
running short.” For Mary, whose college is entirely online, financial support is especially vital in
supporting food-insecure students.
Nine participants emphasized the importance of their external partnership with a local
food bank to assist students with food insecurity. Elizabeth highlighted the food bank's
partnership as helpful in stocking her food pantry. She explained, “We built partnerships with
Matthews Crossing, who also will deliver food to us once a week. We have partnerships with
College Bound who gets food from Midwest Food Bank and bring that to us.” Elizabeth
elaborated that the combination of faculty and staff support and food banks have helped
tremendously enhance the sustainability of pantry usage on her campus. She also emphasized
that despite continued support from her institution and district, she believed that building
capacity for support for the pantry required continued support. She stated, “Yeah. I think that
there is definitely support there. But I think there's just never enough, and that's always the
challenge. But definitely getting grants from the district level has definitely supported and helped
our students tremendously.”
Overall, all of the managers discussed that supportive organizational culture is vital to a
food resource manager’s success in utilizing the food pantry to support students with food
insecurity. All participants shared that faculty and staff partnership helped them in their ongoing
efforts to support students through the use of the food pantry. Faculty and staff are significant
54

donors supporting the pantry through food drive donations and financial contributions.
Additionally, all of the managers recognized the value of external partnerships, especially food
banks, which provide access to non-perishable food supplies to the food pantry and fresh food
during distribution days. Eight of the ten managers shared that they partnered with the local food
bank to stock their pantry with food. Brittany shared, “We use Matthews Crossing and then the
United Food Bank. And we're trying to leverage more of our relationship with the United Food
Bank to increase our food supply.”
Research Question 3: How Does the Process of Food Program Implementation Influence
the Managers’ Ability to Assist Students with Food Insecurity?
The managers identified several key factors that influenced their ability to support
students with food insecurity through their outreach efforts. These factors can be grouped into
three main themes: 1) strategic engagement with faculty, 2) intentional placement of the food
pantry location, and 3) assessment of student pantry usage. Each of these factors shared by the
managers influenced their work to support students with food insecurity. The managers each
shared actions and strategies to support students with food insecurity.
Strategic Engagement with Faculty, Intentional Placement of Food Pantry Location, and
Assessment and Evaluation of Student Usage by Food Resource Managers Influence the
Success or Failure in Assisting Students with Food Insecurity
The ten participants shared the following factors: faculty engagement, pantry location,
and assessment and evaluation of the pantry during the study that influenced their efforts to assist
students with food insecurity. The managers highlighted some of the strategic engagements with
faculty on their campus, their approach to food pantry location, and their current needs regarding
assessment of the food pantry.
55

Participants highlighted the strategic engagement with faculty as crucial in raising
awareness about the food pantry. The study found that all the managers had partnered with some
of their campus faculty members to raise awareness of the food pantry. Barry shared how his
faculty had become ambassadors for his food pantry:
We work very closely and collaborate very closely with our faculty. And because of the
big push on our campus for student success and retention, faculty have become a lot more
aware of resources and services on campus. And some of our faculty members
incorporate the food pantry into their syllabuses.
Ben pointed to the outreach he conducted with his faculty to market the pantry. Ben stated, “I've
taken the show on the road and so there are some faculty members who invite me to come to
their classrooms and I have that conversation. And when we've done that, we've also seen an
uptick of students participating in the village.”
Participants gave examples where work with faculty had led to the integration of food
pantry resources within the faculty class syllabus and have used it to refer students. Brittany
highlighted that her office will present pantry resources to faculty during their Student Life
session. She shared that her outreach has made faculty feel comfortable bringing their students to
the pantry. She stated, “I have a few faculty members who will specifically bring students here.”
Aside from the strategic partnership, managers also emphasized the importance of the
pantry's location in the initial implementation and continuous improvement of the pantry. All
managers highlighted that intentional planning in designing the pantry and securing a location
impacted the accessibility of the food pantry. Coreen pointed to her pantry location in the main
area of student life as a way to make it visible to students:
56

We are directly in front of you to your left. We've got a student success hub on the right
and I put a gamers’ station outside because they lost their game room. So I built them a
gamers’ station to the left. When you come in through the glass doors that has the
differently abled pad, the pantry is immediately to your left.
Dinah reported that continuous improvements have led her to consider pantry relocation to
improve student access. She stated, “I think it needs a better location, a better and bigger location
in order to make it more student-friendly, I would say, and front facing.” According to Dinah,
her unit is considering moving the pantry to a more convenient location on campus to allow the
pantry to offer increased food, hygiene supplies, and clothing options.
In discussing steps that managers take to encourage the use of the food pantry, Barry
pointed out intentionality when designing his food pantry on campus. Barry shared that
marketing and location played a role in his intentional outreach to students. Barry stated, “I took
a conscious effort when we first created it with our marketing approach so that it isn't as taboo or
where students will look at it and feel a certain type of way about using it.” Barry wanted to
normalize the experience of using the pantry by placing his pantry in the middle of the
union. He shared, “everybody can see who goes in there.”
All managers shared that assessing student pantry usage is an area they would like to
improve to better support students, pantry utilization, and efficacy. Melanie highlighted the
dilemma of assessment and assisting students. She explained this dilemma:
As far as the assessments that we are referring to, we haven't been able to really look at
further research or assessment among our students… They're talking to you and you want
to serve them. So, you really don't focus so much on research and data, which you
should, but you're focusing on the student and who's asking for help.
57

All participants reported that they rely on food pantry utilization numbers, anecdotal feedback,
and student testimonies to gauge the effectiveness and impact of the food pantry. Holly pointed
to the lack of additional assessment to gauge the effectiveness of the food pantry. Holly shared,
“I don't know that I have any evidence. I think it's more just testimonials. The students who come
in and use it, repeat customers that we know come week to week.”
During a discussion of the food pantry's approach to assessing progress toward
addressing food insecurity, Dinah highlighted the need to improve their assessment
process. Dinah shared, “I think our gaps of knowledge in assessment is a big barrier for us in
kind of assessing our progress.” Dinah also mentioned that “I really want to build a stronger
relationship with our institutional research team.” Dinah summed it up best when she shared, “So
I guess our first step would be to learn how to assess.” According to Chris, there is no data to
support the pantry's effectiveness on his campus. Chris stated, “I am not aware of any data that I
can point to that would okay. Tell me that it's working.” The managers shared that the lack of
comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the food pantry use is a barrier to fully
understanding the effectiveness of the food pantry in supporting students with food insecurity.
Research Question 4: What Recommendations Do Food Resource Managers Make for
Effective Design and Implementation of Food insecurity Intervention Practices?
The findings presented in this section pertain to recommendations stated by participants
for the design and implementation of effective food insecurity intervention practices. The food
resource managers recommended the following recommendations to serve their students
effectively: 1) dedicated food and funding resources, 2) improved marketing tactics, 3) larger
spaces and high visibility locations, and 4) comprehensive assessment. The managers provided
recommendations and examples to improve food insecurity intervention practices.
58

Provide Dedicated Resources and Funding as Key to Sustainable Food Pantry Success
All ten food resources managers discussed that dedicated resources such as staffing and
institutionalized funding are important to the success of the food pantry. Barry recommended
establishing a permanent base budget line for food items and pantry facility upgrades. Barry
shared, “In looking at food insecurity, better facilities, establishing a line item to provide those
food items.” Coreen’s comments affirmed Barry’s and other managers’ request for permanent
base funding for the pantry's success. She shared:
They need to give us a budget line to be able to purchase food and other items that we
need for that pantry or for the students. They need to give us a budget line. It needs to be
built in. It shouldn't be coming out of my programming money or out of my general
supplies and I shouldn't have to raise money.
Coreen elaborated that funding needs to be institutionalized if the district office is dedicated to
addressing food insecurity. In communicating the same perception, Holly mentioned, “I think
allocating, allocating some funding. At least I know that we're never going to say enough, but
funding is obviously going to be an issue.” Holly also pointed out that staffing support was not
considered for pantry operations. Holly shared, “And staffing, when they came up with this idea
to move the food pantry into this other department like I mentioned, they did not even factor in
that.”
Stronger Marketing is Needed to Increase Pantry Usage
Most managers recommended strategic messaging to increase students' awareness of
using the food pantry. All ten managers recommended faculty and peer involvement, strategic
marketing, and flexible operating hours as effective actions to attract students to the pantry. All
59

food resource managers shared recommendations to increase student awareness of the food
pantry.
Coreen recommended increasing partnerships with faculty and other campus
departments, such as academic advising, to increase awareness of the pantry. She stated, “Make
sure your advisors know. Make sure your faculty know. Ask your faculty to announce it in their
classes. Give them a flyer that talks about basic needs. Our basic needs site is so
comprehensive.” Additionally, Mary recommended marketing expansion of the food
pantry. Mary stated, “I think the marketing of our program it's not out there yet. We're not there
yet.”
In discussing what changes need to be made to the food pantry to be more effectively
used on campus, Barry recommended that stronger marketing is needed to bring more students to
use the pantry. Barry shared, “The stronger the messaging, the more likely the students will
identify and understand the importance of this area and understand that we have these resources
on campus to address those needs.” Barry discussed how marketing can help expand a better
understanding of the available resources for students to address their food insecurity needs. Chris
recommended intentional marketing to different types of students based on campus
demographics as another approach to connecting with students. Chris shared, “Helping find ways
to create some main messages that people would respond to, that's not one size fits all, but that
might be unique for our campus considerations.”
Increasing Pantry Space and Pantry Placement in High Visibility Locations
Six of the ten managers discussed bigger pantry space and location as recommendations
that could improve student services. Dinah elaborated on how pantry space could impact student
outreach. Dinah shared, “Well, when I think it needs a better location, a better and bigger
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location in order to make it more student-friendly, I would say, and front facing.” Brittany
discussed how she wants to move her current pantry to create more resource visibility. Brittany
shared, “I'm looking to move into the former bookstore, which is located in a glass building that
people can see inside. They can see readily from the lounge what is available to them, and be
able to come in.” Elizabeth recommended a dedicated space for the pantry that can impact her
service to students. Elizabeth shared, “I think also just in terms of making sure that, just having
space I think is huge because I think there's kind of this, do this thing, but no resources to go
along with it. No space for storage.” A dedicated approach to space was highlighted by Barry to
include refrigeration. He shared, “when I say more dynamic spaces, meaning not just size, but
also in being able to accommodate refrigerators and things like that so that we can store food
items that are refrigerated.”
Comprehensive Assessment and Data Collection Are Needed to Evaluate Food Pantry
Effectiveness
The majority of the participants recommended a comprehensive assessment and
evaluation of the food pantry usage to understand students with food insecurity. Eight of the ten
participants recommended expanding evaluation methods to understand the food pantry's
effectiveness in helping food-insecure students. Dinah shared:
We collect data on our students, and it's mostly just demographic data. Where do you
live? How many classes are you taking? But we generally, we don't have any data that
says the students who are getting resources from our pantry is helping them in this way or
that way.”
To address this issue, Dinah recommended, "I am really looking forward to building a stronger
relationship with our institutional research team.” Brittany recommended combining data from
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financial aid with pantry usage to understand the students who use her pantry. She shared, “We
can combine it and really figure out who the students are that are using it and what are their
persistence rates compared to those who are not using it. And maybe even pulling their FAFSA
information and comparing them.” Holly recommended adding a better tracking system. She
stated, “So one of the things I talked to my colleague about was how I'm sure it would be
beneficial to them to find a better system for tracking student use and being able to reach out to
students.”
Summary
Food resource managers shared perspectives and examples of utilizing the food pantry to
serve students experiencing food insecurity on community college campuses. The actions shared
by the food resource managers in managing food pantries influenced their ability to support their
students’ needs. The four research questions in this study explored the managers’ experiences
and practices in managing food resource rooms to support students with food insecurity. Many
participants reported a high level of pantry usage on campus, demonstrating the importance of
the managers' role in meeting the needs of their food-insecure students. Participants shared that
student involvement and awareness of students’ food insecurity needs led to the creation and
growth of the food pantry in their institution. In addition, this study revealed overarching themes
of food pantry characteristics that assisted food resource managers in supporting students with
food insecurity. The themes were the immediacy and evolving, flexible, and needs-responsive
nature of the pantry, which influenced managers' support of students. The research also revealed
that participants stressed the importance of having a supportive organizational culture and
building capacity for internal and external partnership in food pantry effectiveness in meeting
students' needs. Lastly, the participants’ recommendations of strategic engagements with
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faculty, intentional placement of food pantry location, and increased assessment of student usage
were important themes that emerged from this study.
The in-depth analysis of the participant narratives shed insights into the practices and
experiences of each food resource manager and how they used their experiences, partnerships,
and influence on campus to build the food pantry and meet the needs of students who were food
insecure. The next chapter provides a discussion of the findings and recommendations based on
the findings of this study and what community college districts and two-year institutions can do
to support food resource managers' role in addressing food insecurity on their campuses.

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Chapter Five: Discussion and Recommendations
The purpose of this study was to explore the practices and experiences of food resource
managers in the context of their ability to assist students with food insecurity. The dearth of
research demonstrating the positive impact of food resource managers in assisting food-insecure
students underscores the compelling necessity to thoroughly investigate their role in effectively
alleviating food insecurity. It was important to conduct this study because food resource
managers’ perspectives in managing the food pantry can assist in the efforts to identify practices
and resources that are effective in serving the needs of food-insecure students.
The answers to the research questions were collected via qualitative interviews. This chapter
discusses the findings in relation to the theoretical framework and existing literature. The chapter
also discusses the study's limitations, recommendations for practice, and recommendations for
future research. Lastly, this chapter will conclude with the study's findings.
Discussion of Findings
Focusing on the practices and experiences of food resource managers, the study
addressed the following questions: (1) How do the food program characteristics impact the
managers’ ability to assist students with food insecurity? (2) How does the community college
district’s culture, climate, structure, and readiness impact the managers’ ability to assist students
with food insecurity? (3) How does the process of food program implementation influence the
manager's ability to assist students with food insecurity? (4) What recommendations do food
resource managers make for effective design and implementation of food insecurity intervention
practices?
Using the conceptual framework used to guide the research, the findings of this study
align with the four main areas identified by the literature review on food insecurity. (1) high food
insecurity among community college students, (2) low utilization of food pantry by students with
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food insecurity due to stigma and lack of awareness, (3) food pantry is the most common food
insecurity resources utilized by higher education institutions to combat food insecurity, and (4)
food resource managers play a role in alleviating food insecurity. The Consolidated Framework
for Implementation Research (CFIR) was the appropriate lens for studying food resource
managers’ utilization of food pantries to support students with food insecurity. This study
explored resource managers' use of the food pantry using the three domains of CFIR:
intervention characteristics, inner setting, and process. Using CFIR, six topics emerged from the
findings: (a) high utilization of food pantry indicates moderate to high levels of food insecurity;
(b) managers’ years of experience and scope of facility oversight had significant impact on food
pantry implementation; (c) flexible and needs responsive nature of the pantry helped managers in
their support of food-insecure students; (d) supportive organizational culture positively impacts
food resource managers’ ability to support students; (e) lack of secure funding for the food
pantry led to managers to seek out funding support from external partners; and (f) the accuracy
of food pantry effectiveness remains uncertain without a comprehensive assessment. The
findings reflected the challenges managers face in supporting students with food insecurity, the
interwoven role of managers in addressing food insecurity on their campus, and the pantry’s role
in helping food-insecure students.
High Utilization of Food Pantry Indicates Moderate to High Levels of Food Insecurity
The study’s findings are consistent with existing literature revealing high food insecurity
rates among community college students (Baker-Smith et al., 2020; Blagg et al., 2017; Goldrick-
Rab et al., 2019; Nikolaus et al., 2020). These data are further substantiated by participant reports
showing high pantry utilization on their respective campuses, indicative of moderate to high food
insecurity levels. Food resource managers shared that a significant portion of their students
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heavily depend on these pantries for food and other essential resources, a trend corroborated by
data that community college students generally require more support than their counterparts at
four-year institutions (Goldrick-Rab et al., 2018). In addition, participants shared that pantry
usage also extended to student’s families, increasing the number of individuals dependent on the
food resource room. Consequently, the food pantry has become a crucial resource in addressing
students’ food insecurity concerns. The prevalence of food insecurity across community college
campuses has led to the establishment and utilization of food resource rooms aimed at serving
community college students.
Managers’ Years of Experience and Scope of Facility Oversight Had a Significant Impact
on Food Pantry Implementation
The role of food resource managers in the effective implementation and success of food
pantries at two-year colleges emerged as a critical factor influencing the effectiveness of the food
pantry in supporting food-insecure students in this study. Six participants held influential
positions within the Student Life department and leveraged their roles to develop campus food
pantries. Their experience and initiatives were essential in developing the food pantry. Holly, a
15-year food resource manager, stated, “In my 15-plus years here, I've never had a supervisor on
site… so it was my initiative at the time.” Another manager, Brittany, plans to relocate her
pantry to a bigger space with more visibility. She shared, “I’m looking to move it into the former
bookstore, which has a glass wall that people can see inside.” The findings demonstrated that
managers with over 10 years of experience and a broader scope of facility oversight actively
designed and developed food pantries to better serve students’ needs. This autonomy allowed
them to convert rooms into food pantries and initiate necessary modifications. The findings from
this study were in line with research from Tainey and Leyden (2022), confirming the critical role
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of food resource managers in the effective implementation of campus-based food assistance
programs, highlighting their awareness, initiative, and ability to leverage their positions to
support students with food insecurity.
Flexible and Needs-Responsive Nature of the Pantry Helped Managers in Their Support of
Food-Insecure Students
The flexible and needs-responsive nature of the pantry has proven to be an invaluable
asset for food resource managers in their efforts to support food-insecure students. This study
found that all participants used their campus pantries to provide easily accessible food resources
to food-insecure students. Food Resource Managers adapted the food offered at the pantry,
extended the hours of operation, and evolved services such as food delivery to meet the needs of
their student population. Studies by Chaparro et al. (2009) and Dubick et al. (2016) established
that the adaptability of food pantries in providing a variety of food options and tailoring to
individual needs led to a more effective response to food insecurity among students. Adaptability
in the food pantry operation was important to amplify the effectiveness of the food pantry. From
flexible hours of operation of their pantry to the variety of resources offered, food resource
managers capitalized on the flexibility and adaptability of the food pantry to support their
students. Participants of this study highlighted that their pantry also offers hygiene products and
school supplies to support their students. These additional offerings are also consistent with the
findings by Dubick et al. (2016) and Martinez et al. (2022) that showed students are requesting
items other than food.

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Supportive Organizational Culture Positively Impacts Food Resource Managers’ Ability to
Support Students
A supportive organizational culture has been shown to significantly enhance food
resource managers’ ability to assist students through the use of the food pantry. Sallee et al.
(2023) found that organizations with a supportive culture have more successful and sustainable
food systems pantry initiatives that translate into better student support. Participants in this study
highlighted faculty support and administration buy-in as instrumental in pantry growth and
development. Eight participants indicated that awareness of food insecurity as a campus-wide
and district-wide issue supported their efforts to address food insecurity on their campus.
Participants highlighted support such as foundation grants, food gift cards, and assistance from
the District SNAP coordinator, which helped food resource managers in their effort to assist
students with food insecurity. Barry, a manager of 19 years, highlighted the support from his
institution and district office in emphasizing food insecurity as extremely beneficial in their work
to address food insecurity on his campus. Additionally, food resource managers emphasized that
support from faculty and staff was crucial to raising awareness of the food pantry among
students who are food insecure. Insights from participants confirmed that food resource
managers can offer innovative solutions to students when a supportive environment empowers
them.
Lack of Secure Funding for the Food Pantry Led Managers to Seek Out External
Partnerships for Inventory and Resources
The challenge of inconsistent funding has prompted food resource managers to explore
external partnerships to sustain food pantry inventory. According to the Swipe Out Hunger
Report (2021), the uncertainty in funds for purchasing food stock and filling pantry inventories
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led managers to seek external partnerships. Nine of the ten participants confirmed they had
formed partnerships with local food banks, emphasizing the lack of institutional funds to support
food pantry operations. The participating managers reported leveraging these partnerships to
bolster the food supply in pantries. Yet, even with these collaborations, the increased demand for
pantry services has led to solicit further partnerships and sponsorships from local businesses. For
example, one manager cited a recent partnership with a local credit union that resulted in facility
upgrades such as shelving in the pantry. These proactive measures underscore the need for
institutional funding for future sustainable food pantry operations.
The Accuracy of Food Pantry Effectiveness Remains Uncertain Without a Comprehensive
Assessment
Food pantry effectiveness cannot be accurately assessed without a comprehensive
analysis. This study found that among the participating community colleges, there is a lack of
accurate assessments of food pantry effectiveness. The majority of the participants shared that
they did not conduct any formal assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of their food pantry,
relying mainly on tracking pantry visits and occasional anecdotal feedback from students for
assessment. This absence of systematic evaluation can lead to an incomplete understanding of a
pantry’s real impact. The findings of this study support research from Swipe Out Hunger Report
(2021), which confirms the need to assess food pantry operations comprehensively. Furthermore,
An et al. (2019) emphasized that food pantries might not address underlying food insecurity
issues or adapt to changing student needs without a thorough assessment. The lack of a
comprehensive evaluation hinders the continuous improvement of the pantry and may conceal
areas where the pantry might be falling short. Berger et al. (2020) highlighted that a holistic
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approach to evaluation that utilizes quantitative and qualitative data can provide a clearer picture
of pantry effectiveness and its impact on alleviating food insecurity.
Recommendations for Practice
The following section focuses on the recommendations for practice based on the findings
of this study. The target audience for the following recommendations are food resource managers
and higher education leaders. Following a literature review and analysis of the experiences of
study participants, four recommendations have been identified to address key findings. Food
pantries at two-year community colleges can be more effective if organizations and food
resource managers follow these recommendations: 1) conduct comprehensive assessment of food
pantry use, 2) establish permanent institutional funding for pantry operations, 3) food resource
managers to collaborate with faculty and staff to increase awareness of the issue of food
insecurity and campus resources, and 4) implement a holistic student support approach for
alleviating food insecurity.
Conduct a Comprehensive Assessment of Food Pantry Use
Participants reported relying on anecdotal feedback and site visit tracking from students
utilizing the food pantry to gain feedback on the effectiveness of the food pantry. Based on the
findings, a comprehensive collection of data through surveys and focus groups are needed to aid
food resource managers in validating the effectiveness of their food pantry on site. The findings
from this study confirmed the outcomes discovered by authors Broton and Goldrick-Rab (2018)
and Watson et al. (2017) on the lack of accurate data on the prevalence of food insecurity among
students attending community colleges and the effectiveness of food insecurity interventions
such as campus food pantry. Authors Pitts (2020) and Schweitzer et al. (2021) highlighted the
importance of increased assessment on evidence-based intervention to reduce food insecurity in
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community college students. To establish comprehensive assessment and data collection on the
effectiveness of the food pantry, food resource managers must work with the institutional
effectiveness office to design quantitative and qualitative surveys that capture student utilization
of the food pantry. In addition, organizations can register with The Hope Center for College,
Community, and Justice to conduct the Hope Survey, a multi-institute survey that assesses basic
needs insecurity within their institutions and presents benchmark findings from other institutions.
Establish Permanent Institutional Funding for Pantry Operations
The recommendation provided by food resource managers in this study aligned with
findings by Schweitzer et al. (2022) and Swipe Out Hunger Report (2021), which identified
funding as a major challenge in managing a food pantry. According to a study by Hagerdorn-
Hatfield et al. (2022), financial donations are an important part of operational funding for college
food pantries. To create a dedicated funding source for a campus food pantry, food resource
managers must develop a comprehensive funding proposal for their respective institution that
outlines objectives, highlighting the food pantry's importance and budgetary requirements
needed to successfully sustain the food pantry. Kolbe & Baker and Goldrick-Rab et al. (2019)
suggested allocating a small percentage of the student services budget toward food pantries to
make a meaningful impact. If institutional funds are unavailable, El Zein et al. (2019)
encouraged managers to pursue grant opportunities from organizations such as Swipe Out
Hunger, The Feeding America Network, and Walmart Foundations to fund campus food
pantries.

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Food Resource Managers to Collaborate with Faculty and Staff to Increase Awareness of
the Issue of Food Insecurity and Campus Resources
Food resource managers highlighted that despite the high utilization of the food pantry on
their campus, they still receive feedback that students are unaware of the food pantry. This
finding is consistent with Dubick et al.’s (2016) finding that food-insecure students lack
awareness of the services provided by pantries. Lack of knowledge of the pantry’s hours of
operation is one reason for not using the pantry. To increase awareness of the campus food
pantry, higher education institutions and food resource managers must strengthen collaboration
with faculty and staff to raise awareness of food resources. Collaborative efforts could include
integrating information about food resources within course syllabi; they can serve as essential
links between food-insecure students and assistance programs. Additionally, Sanders et al.
(2019) advocated for consistent outreach events and informational sessions between food
resource managers, faculty, and staff to bridge the awareness gap and ensure students can access
information to address their food insecurity needs. These sessions could be integrated within new
faculty and staff orientation, campus convocation, and institution professional development
series. Lastly, managers can schedule visits to deliver presentations at departmental staff and
faculty meetings.
Implement a Holistic Student Support Approach for Alleviating Food Insecurity
The participants in the study highlighted that students who utilized the food pantry to
address their food insecurity needs are also experiencing housing and transportation insecurity.
The finding validates the study from Goldrick-Rab (2019), who found that students facing
insecurity often grapple with other barriers such as housing insecurity, financial strain, and
transportation insecurity. The food resource managers suggested that providing resources to
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address housing and transportation is interconnected with addressing food insecurity, such as
creating a single-stop website that contains basic needs resources and partnering with the
counseling department to combine resources. The findings from this study confirm the data
highlighted by authors Watson et al. (2017) that colleges should focus on a holistic student
experience that includes dealing with housing and transportation insecurity. #RealCollege
Survey (2021) found that addressing food and housing insecurity is important to student success.
To provide holistic student support, two-year colleges must coordinate existing support to
address housing insecurity and transportation security by encouraging multiple departments,
such as student life, counseling, and financial aid, to collaborate.
Limitations and Delimitations
Limitations in research refer to design constraints and external factors that are outside of
the researcher’s control (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). One of the limitations of this study is the
number of food resource managers who chose to participate in the qualitative interviews.
The study relied on a small sample of 10 food resource managers. In addition, I encountered
participant dropout during the study. This study also has the limitation that all data was self-
reported by participants, making the truthfulness of the data dependent on the respondents'
honesty. Participants may have chosen not to fully and transparently share their perceptions and
experiences. Another limitation is the scarcity of existing research or studies focused on food
resource managers, which may impact the depth of understanding about their roles, strategies,
and effectiveness in addressing food insecurity at community college campuses. Without a
strong foundation of previous research, the study might explore relatively uncharted territory,
potentially leading to less comprehensive insights.
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Delimitations define a research study's precise scope and parameters, establishing what
aspects to encompass and what elements to exclude from the investigation (Creswell & Creswell,
2018). The purpose of this research was to conduct an exploratory study on food resource
managers’ practices and experiences in the context of their abilities to assist students with food
insecurity. One of the delimitations of this study is how the study was bounded by the
organization and participants of focus. The study is delimited to the experience of food resource
managers at the 10 community colleges in the same district. The study did not include the
experiences of food-insecure students whose opinions about the impact of food resource rooms
may differ from those of the food resource managers. Another delimitation is the framework and
methodology used for this study. The research implemented the CFIR as the theoretical
framework and qualitative interviews to gather data for the study. Because the research questions
and theoretical model define the boundaries of this research, my framework and methodology are
delimitations of this study. This study did not utilize the CFIR domains of outer setting and
characteristics of the individuals, which would have integrated external factors and the roles and
characteristics of the individual’s impact on the study. A quantitative study would complement
the qualitative aspects of this study by validating qualitative findings by corroborating them with
statistical evidence, exploring correlations between food pantry utilizations and other variables,
and providing a comprehensive picture of the effectiveness and impact of food pantries managed
by food resource managers in supporting food insecure students.
Recommendations for Future Research
Using the practices and experiences of food resource managers, this study illuminates
factors that facilitate and act as barriers to using food resource rooms to support food-insecure
students. There are numerous opportunities for future research regarding food pantry efficacy
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and food resource managers. The recommendations below emerged from this qualitative study
and the existing literature reviewed.
The first recommendation for future research is to evaluate the long-term impact of the
food pantry’s role in alleviating the issue in community college settings. Existing literature and
findings from this study illustrate the lack of studies around the implementation and
effectiveness of food pantries. Since the food pantry's inception is a recent phenomenon,
conducting a long-term quantitative study of food pantry utilization and effectiveness could
provide insight into whether the food pantry is an effective short-term or long-term solution to
address food insecurity on community college campuses.
The second future research recommendation is an in-depth study about the impact of food
pantry utilization on college students' academic, mental, and physical well-being as paramount to
understanding the broader effect of these services. Food insecurity has been directly linked to
reduced academic outcomes and student wellness (Goldrick-Rab et al., 2018). Although food
pantries aim to address this challenge, there is little comprehensive research examining their
specific impact on student success and health. By conducting an in-depth study, institutions
could optimize their food support services, ensuring that students receive adequate food and are
supported in their holistic development and success.
A third recommendation for future research would be to focus research on the impact of
the intersectionality of culture, race, gender, and ethnic identity of community college students in
the realm of food insecurity and pantry utilization. Martinez et al. (2017) found that different
cultural and ethnic backgrounds can influence perceptions of food insecurity and help-seeking
behaviors. However, there is a lack of study on the impact of the intersectionality of gender, race,
and ethnicity of college students in accessing food resources. Conducting research into these
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identity domains can help colleges and universities design food resource programs sensitive to
diverse student backgrounds, ensuring equitable access and utilization.
Implications for Policy
This current study contributes to the understanding of food insecurity among community
college students. A key finding is that a high prevalence of food insecurity among community
college students leads to high utilization of food resource rooms in community college settings.
In light of the high number of food-insecure students and increased usage of the college food
pantry, policy measure needs to be reevaluated within institutions and district office to support
food resource managers and pantries on campuses:
1. Existing policies must facilitate stable funding sources for food pantries to ensure they
meet capacity to meet student needs.
2. Integrating food resource orientation into campus marketing and faculty resources can be
instrumental in enhancing the awareness and effectiveness of food pantries.
3. Integrating comprehensive assessment within the campus and district institutional
research teams can facilitate data-informed improvements and pantry utilization
optimizations.
Policies must encourage collaborative relationships between community colleges, district
offices, and local, state, and federal agencies to increase support networks for food-insecure
students. By evaluating institutional and district policy frameworks, food pantries can be
integrated as vital components of student resources on campus, thus playing a pivotal role in
enhancing student success.

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Implications for Equity
The disproportionate impact of food insecurity on underserved student populations has
been well-documented (Blumenthal & Chu, 2018; El Zein et al., 2019; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019;
Willis, 2019). Numerous studies highlight the correlation between food insecurity and decreased
academic performance (El Zein et al., 2019; Henry, 2017; Maroto et al., 2014; Meza et al., 2018;
Maroto et al., 2014). By addressing food insecurity, educational institutions can eliminate
significant barriers marginalized communities face, enhancing their chances of achieving
academic success. Community colleges often serve as gateways for first-generation students,
historically underserved communities, and ethnically diverse groups. Examining the role of
community college food resource managers in using food resource rooms to support food-
insecure students can create an equitable environment, signaling to students that their well-being
and success are institutional priorities.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to explore the practices and experiences of food resource
managers in the context of their ability to support food-insecure students through the use of the
food pantry. The study’s significance arose from the prevailing high levels of food insecurity
among community college students found in recent studies (Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019; #Real
College Survey, 2021). Moreover, the emergence of escalated food insecurity rates due to the
Covid-19 pandemic increased the difficulties in accessing food resources (Broton et al., 2021;
Goldrick-Rab et al., 2020). Several studies have shown a correlation between food insecurity and
academic achievement, underscoring the potential impact of food pantries on degree completion
at community colleges. Addressing food insecurity through the use of the food pantry by food
resource managers can positively influence the successful completion of degree attainment at
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community colleges. The increase in the establishment of on-campus food resource rooms
demonstrates the compelling need to assess their effectiveness in addressing food insecurity. By
leveraging the practices and experiences of food resource managers in using the food pantry to
alleviate food insecurity, higher education institutions and policy-makers can implement
innovative strategies that can increase the efficacy of food resource rooms and develop long-term
solutions to address food insecurity.
This study has unveiled several critical findings on food insecurity and the role of food
resource managers and food resource rooms in higher education settings. First, the moderate to
high utilization of food pantries clearly indicates the importance of these food resource
facilities. The success and effectiveness of these pantries are influenced by managers’ experience
and the breadth of their facility oversight. The adaptability and responsiveness of these pantries
play a pivotal role in helping food resource managers support the diverse needs of food-insecure
students. Furthermore, the effectiveness of food resource managers in supporting students is
amplified in a supportive organizational culture. The funding challenges for food pantries persist,
and many food managers are looking for external partnerships to ensure their continued support.
This study has a significant limitation in that no comprehensive assessment has been conducted
on the effectiveness of these pantries. A holistic understanding paves the way for more tailored,
strategic, and impactful interventions through food resource rooms in college environments.
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Appendix A: Semi-structured Interview Protocol
Preamble:
Hello. Thank you so much for agreeing to be a participant in my study. My name is Aristotle
Mosier, and I am a doctoral student at University of Southern California’s Organizational
Change and Leadership program. The purpose of this research is to conduct an exploratory study
of food insecurity resources at 2-year colleges located in the southwestern United States based on
the practices and experiences of food resource managers. I want to assure you that I am strictly in
the role of a researcher today. This means that the nature of my questions is not evaluative. I will
not be making any judgments on how you are performing as a food resource manager. My goal is
to understand your perspective as a food resource manager.
As stated in the Study Information Sheet I shared with you previously, this interview is
confidential. Your name will not be shared with anyone outside of the research team. I will not
share them with other administrators or anyone in the district. The information gathered for this
study will be compiled into a report, and while I do plan on using some of what you say as direct
quotes, none of this data will be directly attributed to you. I will use a pseudonym to protect your
confidentiality and try my best to remove any identifying data I gathered from you. If you are
interested, I am happy to provide you with a copy of my dissertation paper.
Do you have any questions about this study before we get started? I have brought a recorder with
me today to accurately capture what you share with me. The recording is solely for my purposes
to best capture your perspectives and will not be shared with anyone outside the research team.
May I have your permission to record our conversation and begin our interview? (In-Person)
Do you have any questions for me before we get started? I will be recording this video so that I
can best capture the content that you share with me. The recording is solely for my purposes to
90

best capture your perspectives and will not be shared with anyone outside the research team.
May I have your permission to record our conversation and begin our interview? (Zoom)
Introduction
1. First, tell me about yourself.
How did you become involved in addressing food insecurity?
How long have you worked in this institution?
Tell me about your role in the program/school.
Interview Questions Potential Probes
RQ
Addressed
Key
Concept
Addressed
1. How do the food resource
room characteristics impact
your ability to assist
students with food
insecurity?
Please describe the
food resource room
characteristics.

1 Intervention
Source
2. Can you please describe
how the food resource
room/food pantry got
started on your campus?
Think back to when
you first become
involved with the food
resource room. What
were your first
impressions? Give me
an example of that.

1 Intervention
Source
3. How would you describe
the rate of food insecurity
on campus? Is there a
strong need for this food
resource room?
How do students feel
about this program?
How are students’
feelings about the
program assessed?
2 Inner Setting
Tension for
Change
4. Please describe the types of
food and resources that are
offered at your food
resource room.
Tell me more about the
types of food or
resources that your
students request at your
food resource room.
1 Design Quality
and Packaging
5. How would you describe
the effectiveness of the
food pantry in meeting the
needs of your food
insecure students at your
campus?
Give me an example of
that.
What makes you feel
that way?
2 Inner Setting
Compatibility sub
domain
91

6. What kind of information
or evidence are you aware
of that shows whether or
not the food resource room
is working at your
institution?
Give me an example of
that.
1 Evidence
Strength and
Quality
7. Can you please describe
the steps that have been
taken to encourage food-
insecure students to
commit to using the food
resource room on campus?
Tell me more about
that.
3 Engaging (Key
Stakeholders)
8. Please describe the usage
of your food resource room
on campus.
Can you describe the
clients who have used
the food resource
room?
2 Implementation
Climate
Subdomain
9. How does the district’s and
your organization’s culture
impact your ability to assist
students with food
insecurity?
Tell me more about
that.
2 Culture
Subdomain
10. How does the process of
food program
implementation influence
your ability to assist
students with food
insecurity?
Can you describe how
this might look/what
this looks like?

3 Engaging
subdomain
11. Please describe the food
resource room compared to
other food insecurity
resources that the campus
uses to alleviate food
insecurity among your
students.
Give me an example of
that?
1 Relative
Advantage
12. Describe what changes you
think you will need to
make to the food resource
room for it to work
effectively on campus.
Give me an example
about that.
1 Adaptability
subdomain
13. Please describe any
incentives that you utilize
to ensure that the
implementation of the food
resource room is
successful.
Can you provide a
detailed example of
those incentives?
2 Organizational
Incentives and
Rewards
subdomain
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14. Please describe your plan
for assessing progress
toward alleviating food
insecurity on campus using
food resource rooms.
Can you describe how
this might look/what
this looks like?

3 Reflecting and
Evaluating
Subdomain

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study explored the practices and experiences of food resource managers at ten community colleges in the southwestern United States, highlighting their use of food resource rooms to assist food-insecure students. Utilizing the CFIR's domains of intervention source, inner setting, and process, the study probed into the food resource managers' strategies in the food pantry to aid food-insecure students. It examined the characteristics of the food resource room as an intervention, the influence of food resource room designs, and the effects of the community college district’s culture, climate, and structure on these managers. Furthermore, the study delved into managers’ views on the process of food program implementation, from engagement to evaluation. Data was gathered through qualitative interviews with ten food resource managers. Six themes emerged from the study: (a) high utilization of food pantry indicates moderate to high levels of food insecurity; (b) managers’ years of experience and scope of facility oversight had a significant impact on food pantry implementation; (c) flexible and needs responsive nature of the pantry helped managers in their support of food-insecure students; (d) supportive organizational culture positively impacts food resource managers’ ability to support students; (e) a lack of secure funding for the food pantry led to managers to seek out funding support from external partners; and (f) the accuracy of food pantry effectiveness remains uncertain without a comprehensive assessment. The study’s findings can provide insights into the optimization of food pantries to assist food-insecure students and spotlight measures that higher education institutions might undertake to strengthen the efforts of food resource managers in combating food insecurity.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Mosier, Aristotle P. (author)

Core Title Exploring the practices and experiences of food resource manager in managing food resource rooms to address food insecurity at two-year community colleges

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Degree Conferral Date 2023-08

Publication Date 09/11/2023

Defense Date 09/01/2023

Publisher Los Angeles, California (original), University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag basic needs,College students,community college,food insecurity,food pantry,food resource manager,food resource room,food-insecure,OAI-PMH Harvest,two-year institutions

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Seli, Helena (committee chair), Hinga, Briana (committee member), Witenstein, Matthew (committee member)

Creator Email amosier@usc.edu,aristotle.mosier@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113305008

Unique identifier UC113305008

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Legacy Identifier etd-MosierAris-12336

Document Type Dissertation

Format theses (aat)

Rights Mosier, Aristotle P.

Internet Media Type application/pdf

Type texts

Source 20230911-usctheses-batch-1093 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

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