Student Affairs along with other campus organizations held the semesterly Swipe Out Hunger Drive Nov. 24 to raise funds to help ensure all Badgers have access to affordable and nutritious food, according to SA.
Donations of $1 or more were made at the UW Bookstore or the Wisconsin Union, and meal swipes off students’ Wiscards were donated at University Housing Dining locations, according to SA.
Meal swipes that were donated will be transferred to campus meal cards that are distributed to students who share a food access concern with the OSAS or the Basic Needs team in the Office of Student Financial Aid, according to SA associate communications Director Darcy Wittberger in an email statement.
The funds collected through this drive go toward student support services including the Campus Food Access Fund, which funds the Badger FARE Program and the Open Seat Food Pantry, according to Wittberger’s statement.
The Open Seat saw an exponential increase in shoppers amid FoodShare uncertainty during the recent federal government shutdown, according to a Nov. 11 Instagram post by the Associated Students of Madison.
According to the Instagram post, Open Seat suffered from being under-resourced and could not handle the increasing level of need on campus, but was working to balance the needs of shoppers with workers’ own education.
The Badger FARE Program provides support to students facing temporary or ongoing food insecurity on campus, with eligible students receiving $75 on their Wiscard that can be used on campus, according to the Office of Student Assistance and Support. It also connects students with resources for long-term support, according to OSAS.
Students were able to donate a meal from their plan whether they are on the Go 10, Go 14 or Go Unlimited plan, which went towards students in the community and was especially important during the holiday season, according to Gordon Avenue Market dining assistant manager Maddy Gritzmacher.
“It’s something that we offer to our students to be able to give back a little bit around the holidays,” Gritzmacher said.
According to Wittberger in the email statement, there is a current campaign to raise money for the Campus Food Access Fund to provide support to students and donations can be made here.
