Documentary Screening at Laurel Ridge Highlights Hidden Struggle of Student Hunger

A powerful documentary shedding light on an often unseen issue—food insecurity among college students—will be screened at Laurel Ridge Community College next month.

The film, Invisible Epidemic, will be shown at 11 a.m. Friday, April 3, at the Corron Community Development Center on the Middletown Campus. The event will be followed by a question-and-answer session with filmmaker Daniel McCain and Vivi Meder, director of student support services at Laurel Ridge.

The documentary explores a growing problem affecting campuses nationwide: students who quietly struggle to afford basic nutrition while pursuing their education.

“It’s so normalized among college students to just be hungry or skip a meal or a few,” one student says in the film.

Through personal stories and data, Invisible Epidemic challenges common assumptions about college life. While many imagine students focused on academics and social activities, the reality for some is far more difficult.

“I think that a lot of people don’t expect someone else to know firsthand what it’s like to be homeless or what it’s like to not have food to eat,” another voice in the film explains.

The documentary also highlights systemic challenges. Unlike four-year institutions, some schools face limitations in how they provide meal support.

“We can’t lump a food package or a meal plan into a tuition bill like a four-year college can,” one participant notes.

Even at larger institutions, the issue persists. “We are massive institutions with massive budgets and significant power,” another speaker says. “In a lot of ways, we act like tiny cities.”

Nationally, the numbers are striking. According to the film, about 38% of college students experience food insecurity—an issue that often goes unnoticed.

“From the students that we pulled, 38% of them were experiencing food insecurity. And that’s about the national standard,” the film reports.

The documentary also points to ongoing efforts to address the problem, including policy changes and campus-based programs.

“There’s hope with supporting each other,” one advocate says in the film.

Despite those efforts, barriers remain. Accessing assistance programs like SNAP can be difficult, leaving many students without reliable support.

“It’s already so difficult for students to access SNAP benefits,” a speaker explains.

The film’s message is clear: food insecurity is not just an individual struggle, but a systemic issue that requires attention and action.

“People should just treat it like any other resource,” one participant says.

Organizers hope the screening will raise awareness and encourage conversation within the community. By combining personal stories with data, Invisible Epidemic aims to bring a hidden issue into the open—and inspire solutions.