While
the
University
of
Michigan has canceled classes
in response to the COVID-19
virus and advised students to
leave campus if they are able,
some
organizations
and
local
restaurants have continued food
distribution at no cost to help
those in the community facing
food insecurity.
Food
banks
such
as
the
University’s
Maize
and
Blue
Cupboard
and
Washtenaw
County’s
Food
Gatherers
are
continuing their services during
the coming weeks to assure that
no one in the community will go
hungry.
Helen
Starman,
chief
development
officer
of
Food
Gatherers,
said
many
people
will be feeling the effects of food
insecurity for the very first time
due to layoffs spurred by COVID-
19. Starman said Food Gatherers is
providing meals to these people, as
well as others who have benefited
from their organization in the
past.
“There are going to be people in
this community who have never
needed it before who are going to
find that they need food,” Starman
said. “We are open, we will stay
open and we are here to provide
food to anyone who needs it.”
Starman said Food Gatherers
recognizes the risk that public
school shutdowns in Washtenaw
County pose to children on free
or reduced meals. To alleviate the
burden on families, Starman said
the non-profit has set up locations
in the community for families to
collect two pre-made meals a day
per child under the age of 18.
This not only goes for children
who are registered for reduced
or free meals at school but for
any child enrolled in the county
public school system under 18.
Additionally,
any
individual
enrolled
in
special
education
programs
through
the
public
school system may collect their
two meals a day if they are 26 or
younger.
Starman said the food bank
acquires the food by coordinating
with school systems and then
distributing the food to the people
who need it.
“What’s
happening
right
now in this sort of emergency
situation is that each school
district in Washtenaw County
is taking the lead in providing
meals to their kids, and those
meals are being paid for by
the Michigan Department of
Education,” Starman said. “The
MDE has now said, ‘You can
give meals to anybody. You don’t
have to check the kids at the door
and provide information about
needing reduced priced or free
meals.’ So, our role in that is
coordinating and helping people
know where to get the food and
how to pick it up.”
Starman
also
said
the
organization recognizes some
families
cannot
access
the
facilities during the hours that
Food Gatherers is open so they
are trying to be flexible and cater
to the community’s needs.
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Food Gatherers, Maize and Blue Cupboard
remain open for distributing necessary goods
ILLUSTRATION BY MAGGIE WIEBE
EMMA RUBERG
Daily Staff Reporter
See FOOD, Page 3
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INDEX
Vol. CXXIX, No. 91
©2020 The Michigan Daily
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O P I N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
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ADMINISTRATION
Arthur Tarnow, U.S. district
court
judge,
deemed
the
University of Michigan’s former
sexual
misconduct
policy
unconstitutional on Monday.
The lawsuit, Doe v. University
of Michigan, was filed in June
2018. The plaintiff, John Doe,
a male undergraduate student
was accused of sexual assault by
a female student in his residence
hall.
Sexual misconduct policy
deemed unconstitutional
EMMA STEIN
Daily News Editor
Judge rules
against ‘U’
guidelines
2020 census begins amid COVID-19
Bureau initiates data collection as many students leave campus, return home
Data collection for the 2020
Census began early last week,
just as many students left their
colleges
amid
the
COVID-19
pandemic to return home.
The
U.S.
Census
Bureau
released a statement on March
15 detailing how their operations
would change to ensure people
are
accurately
counted.
The
statement declared the Bureau is
committed to counting as many
students as possible. The Bureau
also said students should respond
with their school address —
regardless of where they are
living on Census Day, April 1
— and has provided answers
to common questions on their
website.
“We are adjusting operations
to make sure college students are
counted,” the press release said.
“In general, students in colleges
and
universities
temporarily
closed due to the COVID-19 virus
will still be counted as part of
this process. … We are asking
schools to contact their students
and remind them to respond.”
LSA
junior
Carolyn
Chen,
a political science major, said
she thought getting students to
respond would be difficult, as
they may instead be focused on
their schoolwork and the effects
of
COVID-19.
She
also
said
students may not understand
the impact of the census, as it
is not widely publicized, and
therefore they may not take time
to respond.
“Unfortunately, the ... census
is not the number one priority
for many students right now,”
Chen said. “The census’s impact
is not something that gains a lot
of recognition, and if there was
low visibility about census issues
before the pandemic, then there
is probably even less visibility
now. The news is filled with so
many other headlines that the
importance of data accuracy does
not even cross many people’s
minds.”
JENNA SITEMAN
Daily Staff Reporter
DESIGN BY TAYLOR SCHOTT
See CENSUS, Page 3
Local food banks
provide resources
for community amid
coronavirus outbreak
See POLICY, Page 2