YOUNGSTOWN — Students gathered for the second annual Swipe Out Hunger program at Youngstown State University on Monday to hear from local organizations on the front lines of the battle against food insecurity in Youngstown.

More than 80,000 people across Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties struggled to provide for themselves or their families in 2020, according to information from Feeding America.

The campus event was hosted by the YSU Student Government Association. Panelists were YSU President Jim Tressel, who introduced Dean of Students Nicole Kent-Strollo; Rescue Mission of Mahoning Valley CEO John Muckridge Ill; and David Scott, Meals on Wheels on Mahoning County vice president.

Food insecurity among adults and children has worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic with these local organizations having to find ways to lessen the impact the virus has had in servicing those in need.

During the pandemic, the use of food banks and pantries has increased but rising inflation has caused these local organizations to try their best to work around rising costs.

The Rescue Mission served 61,000 meals last year but with rising food costs, Muckridge said it is implementing preservation methods in the form of freeze drying food to maintain a longer shelf life.

Facing the financial strains of inflation, Scott of Meals on Wheels said despite its reluctance, the organization has had to increase costs of meals by 10 percent to meet demands. The nonprofit group has prided itself on providing home-cooked, low cost meals to some 80 to 85 residents daily from the Youngstown area since the 1970s. A variety of sources from private donations and grants are used to maintain costs of operations.

The primary financial source, Scott said, comes from fees for meals served, which now is at $8 up from the original price of $7.25. Clientele consist of about 105 customers, mostly senior citizens and disabled residents, who are delivered hot meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Among senior citizens the demand for delivery services has increased with the pandemic, especially with less cash on-hand to pay for groceries.

On a daily basis Scott said the organization will serve 80 to 85 customers through the help of dedicated volunteers working for free, which helps keep costs down.

“We just couldn’t afford to absorb the 30 percent price increase. We don’t like it, but our suppliers are saying over the next six months this is our reality,” Scott said.

Noticing empty shelves, Kent-Strollo was able to receive an influx of community support donating food items to the campus food pantry, to help the increase in student foot traffic to the pantry.

One way the pantry is staying afloat is with help from students donating swipes from their meal plan to donate to students in need.

“We’ve had 92 unique students use the pantry and 171 visits to the pantry in general,” said Kent-Strollo.

Most of the students utilizing the services, she said, consist of international students who come to YSU lacking the financial means to provide for themselves.

Growing up in the middle class in Warren, student government President Nickiforos J. Mastorides said he’s never experienced food insecurity. But as a child of divorce, Mastorides said he experienced his parents cutting costs to meet other needs.

Nick Pestor, student government vice president, also described himself as middle class, having grown up on the Struthers-Poland line.

“I’m fortunate we didn’t face food insecurity in my life, but my family did have to eat and live on a budget as our financial situation fluctuated over time,” said Pestor.

Both SGA members say Swipe Out Hunger week helps provide people of all backgrounds with the reality of what is going on around them.

“I firmly believe that many students at this university would really have no clue as to how big the food insecurity issue is not only at YSU, but the surrounding areas as well,” Mastorides said.

Over the next two weeks YSU students will be offered insight into food insecurity through educational events and immersive, hands-on events.

cmcbride@tribtoday.com