UConn School of Law Professor Mathilde Cohen wanted to do more than discuss food insecurities in her Food Law and Policy class. She decided to bring her students to the Connecticut Foodshare headquarters in Bloomfield.

In the class, Cohen teaches about “a complex web of agricultural and food laws and policies that shape what ends up on our plates, and ultimately affect the health of individuals, communities, and their ecosystems.” As part of the class, she discusses the causes of food insecurity, a limited or uncertain access to adequate nutrition, among Americans.

Students learn about the various programs that aim at addressing food insecurity, from government programs such as the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps) to privately led initiatives such as food banks, including Connecticut Foodshare, which distributes nutritious food through local partner programs in an effort to alleviate hunger.

Cohen hoped volunteering at the states largest food bank would help students not already familiar with food insecurity  see for themselves its impact on communities and learn about the existing responses to the problem.

“I am grateful to Professor Cohen for this fantastic opportunity to volunteer at Connecticut Foodshare,” Alona Voronova ’24 said. “Working closely with refugees, I see repeatedly that one of the most challenging things for them is finding a reliable source of food. I think today I may have found a solution. Connecticut FoodShare, a non-profit organization, is here to provide high-quality food to anyone who needs it without excluding people who otherwise would not have access.”