This month the University of Memphis asked students to consider helping fellow students by donating guests meals from their meal plans to those less fortunate.
The UofM is dedicated to fighting food insecurity by providing students with resources like the Tiger Food Pantry and the Tiger Meal Swipe Program.
Alex Tucker, director of the Tigers Fight Hunger Initiative, said the program is essentially a response to food insecurity.
“The program is for students needing food assistance,” Tucker said. “Students can apply online for the Tiger Meal Swipe program and will receive five meal swipes to use in the Tiger Den.”
The Tiger Food Pantry is located at the University Center in room 359 and is available to any current UofM student Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The pantry carries non-perishable food items and basic toiletries and household items.
Tucker said the program is beneficial to students because it takes an extra burden off students.
“I would say the (program) benefits students in that it eases the stress of school off of them,” Tucker said. “Students are focusing more on their studies instead of worrying about where their next meal will come from.”
The Office of Student Accountability, Outreach and Support partners with Tiger Dining, Campus Card and Student Government Association to facilitate the meal swipe program.
Antonio Scott, the vice president of UofM’s SGA, said Tigers Fight Hunger is an amazing program and other campuses across the nation are creating similar programs.
“I think the Tigers Fight Hunger Initiative is an amazing program,” Scott said. “It not only brings awareness of hunger and food insecurity to our campus but acts as a voice for those that need to be advocated for. Campuses across the nation are adopting the idea of serving those in need by implementing food pantries and other initiatives, and I think it is great the UofM is catering to these students.”
The Tiger Meal Swipe Donation drive is this month. Students who want to donate their unused guest meals can stop by the Tiger Den, the UC Atrium or the Office of Student Accountability, Outreach and Support from 12 to 2 p.m. to donate in an effort to end food insecurity on campus.
