Penn State University students amassed $30,000 in donations from unused meal dining dollars from their meal plans. The donations were accrued during Earth Week this past April, with Penn State students donating to Swipe Out Hunger through the university’s Student Emergency Fund.
According to an official university release, all Penn State residential campuses participated in “Swipe Out Hunger” and coupled the event with Earth Week 2022. The event provided students with the option to donate excess dining dollars from their university meal plans any time they dined on campus.
Donations from PSU’s University Park dining commons, HUB-Robeson Center dining locations, and Commonwealth Campuses came to $29,840, an increase from last year.
Penn State’s Student Emergency Fund is a program that provides short-term financial assistance to students experiencing crisis. The fund is provided through the university’s Student Care & Advocacy department.
Penn State also offers additional resources for students facing financial challenges and other basic needs through its Student Affairs website.
Swipe Out Hunger is a nonprofit focused on combating college student hunger. The organization now works with some 435 colleges and universities nationwide to implement anti-hunger programs.
The group at Penn State that implemented Swipe Out Hunger includes a task force from Housing and Food Services, Student Affairs, and PSU students. Swipe Out Hunger also works with Lion’s Pantry, a food pantry at PSU’s flagship University Park campus.
