By Wendy Harrison

SUFFOLK

Paul D. Camp Community College Success Coach Dr. Sandra Walker presented a workshop to the City of Suffolk Libraries staff that focused on the implications of poverty on teaching, learning and the workplace. In addition, she shared new research about poverty, food and housing insecurity, hunger, homelessness, and how this affects the success of students, communities and workplaces.

In April 2018, Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab and colleagues released the report, “Still Hungry and Homeless in College.” The research revealed that 42 percent of community college students had food insecurity in the last 30 days that preceded the survey and 46 percent were housing insecure within the last year.

“We know that the student sitting in one of our classes could very well be the same patron served by one of the libraries or the client of the human services agency in our service region,” Walker said. “To this end, engagement and communication are the cornerstones of our partnerships.”

PDCCC President Dr. Dan Lufkin formed a food bank committee in 2017 that works in partnership with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and Eastern Shore to provide some assistance to the students.

Walker added, “PDCCC has a pulse on emerging trends within higher education, which includes a movement to address the students’ basic needs.”

For more information, contact Walker at swalker@pdc.edu.

WENDY HARRISON is the public relations specialist for Paul D. Camp Community College. She can be reached at wharrison@pdc.edu.