UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students at all Penn State residential campuses can help "Swipe Out Hunger" on campus during the week of April 14- 20. Students can donate any amount of dining dollars in $5 increments when purchasing a meal at any dining commons on their campus or through a Penn State Eats mobile order.
All donations support the Student Emergency Fund in the form of emergency dining dollars. The Student Emergency Fund directly supports students at every campus location facing food insecurity, as well as additional needs including housing insecurity, homelessness and unexpected emergencies.
The fund provides short-term financial support to students in need while staff in student care and advocacy, a unit in the division of Student Affairs, work to connect them with resources to help develop greater financial stability.
More than 14% of students at Penn State indicated that they did not eat at least once in the previous month due to the inability to afford food, according to the 2022 Food and Housing Needs survey.
“Swipe Out Hunger empowers our Penn State community to support fellow students in need, creating a healthier and more engaged campus for all of us. Together, we’re building a campus where every student has the resources they need to succeed,” said Leanne Lenz, associate director in student care and advocacy.
Swipe Out Hunger, a national nonprofit committed to ending college student hunger, works with more than 435 colleges and universities nationwide to implement anti-hunger programs.
The group that brought Swipe Out Hunger to Penn State includes task force subcommittee members from Housing and Food Services and Student Affairs, as well as students who work with the Lion's Pantry, a food pantry at University Park.
Penn State Student Affairs has resources available for students' facing food or housing insecurity. Students from all campuses with an immediate need can complete the basic needs request form to get started.