FEBRUARY 1, 2021 — Roadrunners have an easy new way to combat food insecurity on campus: the Swipe Out Hunger campaign. Developed in partnership with Campus Services, UTSA Dining (powered by Aramark Higher Education) and the Roadrunner Pantry, the campaign allows meal plan holders to donate unused meals to help students in need.
In the university’s first ever Swipe Out Hunger campaign, meal plan users can donate up to two meals using the GET mobile app to manage their UTSACard, Dining Dollars and more. The app includes a digital version of a student’s university ID, which can be scanned at all dining venues. Students in need of meal assistance can request donated meals through the Roadrunner Pantry’s Meal Share Assistance program.
“This campaign is a great opportunity for all meal plan holders to be personally involved in helping their fellow Roadrunners. Food insecurity is an increasingly critical issue on college campuses, and we are excited to be one of the first universities to use the GET app in conjunction with Swipe Out Hunger,” said Kevin Price, senior associate vice president for housing and campus services. “By donating just two meals, students can make a huge difference in meeting the projected need on our campus.”
UTSA Dining will match donations throughout the month of February, meaning that every donated meal will result in two meals provided to students in need. “UTSA Dining is passionate about reducing food insecurity, and we are excited to launch this initiative with our campus partners,” said Joel Cecil, resident district manager. “By coming together, our Roadrunners can do amazing things.”
Serving as the student voices of the campaign are senior public health major Natalie Malluru and sophomore biomedical engineering major Yohannes Akiel, both members of the Top Scholar program. Malluru and Akiel share a passion for helping others and will provide critical support to the campaign by educating their fellow Roadrunners about food insecurities and how the campus community can come together to provide relief.
“Working with the partners in Campus Services, UTSA Dining and the Roadrunner Pantry has been an excellent experience, and we are excited to promote the Swipe Out Hunger campaign on our campuses,” said Akiel. “We are thrilled that this program is being offered through UTSA. It offers excellent potential to end food insecurity among college students.”
Swipe Out Hunger is a national nonprofit focused on ending college student hunger. Food insecurity—the lack of reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food—is a widespread problem on college and university campuses, especially during these challenging times. Since the beginning of the pandemic, nearly a third of college students have missed a meal at least once per week. Additionally, roughly half (49%) of student parents have experienced food insecurity at some point.
The Swipe Out Hunger campaign begins today, February 1, and will continue until the end of the month. To thank donors, Campus Services will hold random prize drawings for meal plan holders who participate. Prizes include gift cards donated by the Rowdy Campus Store as well as products donated by PepsiCo, the university’s contracted partner for on-campus beverages.
Faculty, staff and students who do not have meal plans can support the fight against hunger by donating directly to the Roadrunner Pantry. Food, supplies and monetary donations are accepted at any time.
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