As students move out from their residence halls and university-owned apartments for the summer, they have an opportunity right in their lobby to donate food for those in need.
Christine Little, Manager of Food Recover and Assistance at the Neighborhood Kitchen, said she has been holding the “Move Out for Hunger” event for the five years she has been at Marquette in order to care for the community as the need for food rises across the country.
“It’s a great way to reduce food waste, and all the items that we get in go to support the Backpack Program, our on-campus food pantry,” Little said.
Little said that this event, in collaboration with the Food Recovery Network, is a big end-of-the-year food collection straight from students who are moving out of their dorms with leftover nonperishables. She said easily accessible donation bins will be set up in the lobbies of each residence hall starting the Monday of finals week through May 10.
“As students are moving out, they can just toss in whatever they don’t want to take back with them,” Little said.
Little said food items eligible for collection for the on-campus food pantry are nonperishables like canned items, ramen noodles and box mac and cheese. She said that whenever the Backpack Program uses its funds to purchase food, they try to buy the healthiest items as possible like granola bars or trail mix, but students are welcome to donate whatever nonperishable food they have available.
Little said that while “Move Out for Hunger” only lasts for about a week-long period in May, the amount of food donated by students can have a much longer lasting impact on the community.
“One year, we got enough mac and cheese and ramen that it lasted us all the way through the next summer,” Little said. She said that the Backpack Program has typically received plenty of food during past “Move Out for Hunger” events, as long as donation bins are easily accessible and visible in the dorms.
Little said that holding a donation event is so important because there has been a rising number of students who are looking for food and need extra support. She also said providers like Feeding America have less resources available to give to the Backpack Program because of the current need for food everywhere across the country.
“As school related costs and tuition go up, housing is going up. Food is just expensive and it’s harder to access because it’s too expensive for a lot of people,” Little said.
Along with providing greater access to food for students in need, Little said the “Move Out for Hunger” event is fulfilling two parts of Marquette’s new strategic plan by caring for both the community and the world overall.
“It’s just a way to help reduce that impact on our climate and get us engaged with thinking about being more mindful and intentional with our choices around food, and not just throwing it out because we think that’s the easiest thing,” Little said.
Little said that reducing the carbon footprint and making mindful choices by donating during “Move Out for Hunger” allows people at Marquette to be the difference in the lives of those around them who require food assistance.
“We’re part of a community and this is a great way to support our students,” Little said.
This story was written by Mia Thurow. She can be reached at [email protected]
