Brandon Mathews enrolled at the Clinton School of Public Service with a vested interest in food insecurity. As an undergraduate, he was a food insecure student himself, sometimes not knowing where his next meal would come from. But he knew that he wanted to do something to help.
Mathews partnered with the Arkansas Foodbank on his final Capstone project to develop a plan for establishing and operating food pantries on college and university campuses in Arkansas.
His work resulted in the publishing of a campus food pantry toolkit that covered topics like fundraising, marketing, operations, and more. He oversaw the emergence of multiple food pantries through joint efforts with the Arkansas Foodbank and cooperating campuses, which have since served thousands of food-insecure students.
Mathews connected his work with the College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA), beginning a partnership that continues to this day.
When Mathews joined the alliance in 2015, there were roughly 175 CUFBA food banks at colleges and universities across the country. Today, there are more than 700.
The Clinton School Impact Minute is a recurring segment with Little Rock Public Radio, highlighting the Clinton School’s field service impact in Arkansas.
Since 2004, Clinton School students have completed more than 600 field service projects with nearly 300 organizations in Arkansas alone, creating immediate and long-term impact for businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies across the state.
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