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Students at Ohio State University now have the ability to donate meals to those in need thanks to an initiative with mobile ordering platform, Tapingo.
As reported by student publication, The Lantern, OSU's student government found itself in search of ways to breathe new life into its Block Out Hunger food donation program, and the answer came in the form of leveraging Tapingo's mobile platform. The initiative enables students to donate campus food items through the app to fellow students who are food insecure.
Block Out Hunger is a year-round initiative that OSU's student government updates every November in coordination with food insecurity awareness drive, Battle Against Hunger. New to the program this year, OSU students can use the $5 value of one meal-plan swipe at university C-Store locations to purchase and donate items like fruit and rice. Tapingo is being offered as an extension and alternative means to navigate the donation process.
From the Tapingo app, students can donate items under the "C-Store — PAD” option, and click “Virtual Donation” to indicate what food they would like to donate. Students can also physically donate their swipe value at any of the three on-campus C-Store locations.
Block Out Hunger has been an active campus program at Ohio State for five years. This year OSU's student government is prioritizing marketing around the holiday season, as Thanksgiving and winter breaks are among the most important times to spread the word about food insecurity initiatives.
