Baking to End Hunger

Written by Meg Aprill Photography by Erica Legaard

Syracuse University students come together to bake for Challah for Hunger and raise money to end college food insecurity.

Cooking and baking has always had a special way of connecting with people, but did you ever think that cooking with others could be a way to prevent food insecurity? Through a program at Syracuse University called Challah for Hunger, students are coming together to bake and sell challah to raise money to combat on campus hunger along with other urgant social challenges in their local community.

According to an article by the Leadership Conference Education Fund, food insecurity is the limited or uncertain ability to obtain nutritious food due to lack of financial resources. This can impact eating patterns and reduce the amount of food people eat. A study done by Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice found that approximately 45% of college students surveyed deal with food insecurity. On their website it says that Challah for Hunger is an international organization founded by Eli Winkelman in 2004 to take action against campus hunger. Now, there are over 80 chapters of Challah for Hunger at college campuses across the globe and they recently changed their name this year to Nuzan. Food insecurity has remained a prominent issue for college students across America.

Jordan Greene, former president of the Syracuse Chapter of Challah for Hunger, says that once a month on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday students from all backgrounds come to Hillel to help prep, bake, and sell challah to raise money for Meals on Wheels and Swipe out Hunger. Anyone

is welcome to help with the Challah for Hunger bakes each month. Information is always available on @syrchallahforhunger on Instagram.

Greene says that on Wednesdays, students get the flour, eggs, and yeast to make the dough and have it sit overnight. Then, on Thursday, student volunteers return to break the challah and create fun flavors like cinnamon sugar, plain, everything but the bagel bites, and some seasonal specialties. Finally, Friday is when they sell the challah on campus at hillel. Greene says that price depends on the flavor, but it usually ranges between $3 and $5.

During COVID-19, Greene says that Challah for Hunger died out for a little while. But last semester, students like Greene became passionate about bringing back such an important organization to Hillel and the Syracuse community.

According to Greene, there were only three board members last semester: a baking coordinator, a treasurer, and a social media director. They began partnering with other organizations like the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega to help with the bakes which drew more people to the organization. Now, the Challah for Hunger board is made up of twelve people and the organization only continues to grow. Greene says, “I think that like people from different organizations and backgrounds kind of come together over one cause, and it is really great.”