In a nation grappling with the consequences of the decades-old “war on drugs,” a startling reality emerges: youth with substance use disorders (SUDs) are caught in a cycle of addiction, crime, and incarceration. The justice system, ill-equipped for rehabilitation, perpetuates this cycle, with SUD sufferers four times more likely to reoffend upon release.

Victoria Beede writes, “1 in 3 college students do not know where their next meal is coming from. Because of an inability to access typical forms of help for the food insecure, college students are left without resources and government benefits. It is imperative that Christians come alongside struggling college students by providing them with a voice and advocating for policy changes that will help them be heard.”