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Tue, 12 Apr 2022 16:19:45 +0000

Penn State students can help 'Swipe Out Hunger' during Earth Week Penn State students can celebrate Earth Week, April 18-22, with a swipe of their id+ card admin Tue, 04/12/2022 - 12:19 Credit: Penn State Expand April 12, 2022
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — All Penn State residential campuses will host Swipe Out Hunger in conjunction with Earth Week 2022. During the week of April 18-22, students have the option to donate $5, $10, or $15 to the Student Emergency Fund when they pay for their meal at any residential dining facility or through a Penn State Eats mobile order.

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 emergency fund provides short-term financial support to students in need while staff in Student Care and Advocacy, a unit of Student Affairs, work to connect them with resources to help them develop greater financial stability.

When students purchase a meal at any dining commons on their campus, they can tell the cashier how many dining dollars they would like to contribute, in increments of $5. Residential Dining takes care of the rest. It’s an easy way to use extra dining dollars at the end of the academic year while helping care for fellow Penn State students.

“The power of this program is palatable — students helping students. Each dollar donated to the Student Emergency Fund helps students in need feel more secure, able to cover the costs of their basic, daily needs, and improve their ability to focus on learning and connecting. A Penn State experience should not just be about surviving but thriving,” said Anna Barone, director of Student Care and Advocacy, which administers the emergency fund.

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.

Students who are experiencing facing financial challenges and other basic needs can find resources through the Student Affairs website.