Published September 21, 2023
MONROE, LA – Students at The University of Louisiana Monroe gathered earlier this week to give
donations and bring awareness to the issue of hunger on campus. As part of the Louisiana
Board of Regents’ Hunger-Free Campus initiative, ULM held a non-perishable food donation
drive on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the Student Activity Center. Students who donated food
received a ticket to the “Roll Away Hunger” event at Skate Town on Wednesday, Sept.
20.
Robert Reed is the Assistant Director of Recreational Services and the Chair of the
Hunger-Free Task Force at ULM. He said 143 students made donations over the two days,
with a total of more than 500 items donated. Reed said over 100 students gathered
at Skate Town on Wednesday evening for the “Roll Away Hunger” event.
Food donations will help stock the ULM Food Pantry, which is a free resource available
to all ULM students. The Food Pantry is located inside the Student Activity Center
and is accessible during regular Activity Center hours.
“The Hunger Free Task Force and the Anti-Hunger event were created to raise awareness
of the growing issue of food insecurities our students are facing and have been facing,”
said Reed. “It also lets our Warhawk community show they care by donating and educating
themselves about the problems our students experience,” he added.
According to a 2020 Hope Center Survey, 29% of students at 4-year institutions reported
experiencing food insecurity in the past 30 days.
Another aspect of the Hunger-Free Campus initiative is the “Swipe Out Hunger” program,
which is sponsored by SGA each semester. As part of the program, students with unused
meal swipes can donate them to the swipe bank and students in need can complete a
swipe request form. Meal swipes are then distributed based on a review of need. SGA
President David Hernandez says over 1,200 swipes were donated in the Spring 2023 semester.
Reed says the Food Pantry accepts donations from anyone throughout the year. Donations
can be made in the Student Activity Center during regular hours. For more information
about the ULM Food Pantry, click here.
