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

GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail 
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

INDEX
Vol. CXXIX, No. 91
©2020 The Michigan Daily

N E W S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

O P I N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit
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on Instagram, 
@michigandaily

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

