Swipe Out Hunger Awards Over $420,000 in Grants to More Than 100 Campus Pantries

December 21, 2023 – Today, Swipe Out Hunger — the leading national nonprofit working to end college student food insecurity — announced that 102 colleges will be awarded more than $420,000 to support campus food pantries, with each receiving between $3,000 and $7,000.

This money will allow campuses to fund priority programs specific to each pantry, including but not limited to: expanding food offerings to accommodate students’ dietary and cultural needs, providing funding for student volunteers and staff, acquiring cold storage for perishable and fresh items, investing in new technology for their pantry operations, expanding outreach through pop-up pantries throughout campuses, and delivering groceries and meals to students in need.

“This grant plays a pivotal role in advancing our mission and creating a positive impact at our college,” said Vashi Worley-Moore, Senior Student Services Specialist at Phoenix College. “It provides a means to employ student ambassadors to help increase awareness of campus resources and to assist us as we endeavor to alleviate student hunger at Phoenix College.”

With the rapidly growing demand at campus food pantries and other food security programs across the country, Swipe Out Hunger’s primary goal for this year’s grants is to equitably distribute funds by strategically prioritizing the campuses with the highest need using relevant data provided by the schools.

“Oftentimes, it’s assumed that students attending a private university are financially secure and don’t face hunger, but the reality is often far from it,” said Lydia Agena, Student Care & Wellness Coordinator at Azusa Pacific University. “We see students who are trying to live off of one granola bar or one tuna packet a day. This Swipe Grant will allow us to develop programming that encourages healthy eating habits, grocery budgeting, waste reduction, and connection to additional resources for holistic support.”

Swipe Out Hunger is thrilled to continue providing much needed additional funding to even more campuses. This is the single largest investment cycle Swipe Out Hunger has made in its history. Since 2021, the organization has distributed more than $720,000, with this current grant cycle accounting for more than half of their total award amount. These grants are made possible thanks to the support of Swipe Out Hunger’s philanthropic partners including Campus Specialties Inc. and MicroFridge, The GIANT Company, and Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation.

“We’re incredibly proud to more than double our grant distribution this year thanks to the dedicated support of our partners, and we hope to continue increasing these grants for our campuses,” said Jaime Hansen, Executive Director at Swipe Out Hunger. “In alignment with our organizational values, our focus is to promote equity and justice in grant allocation. By prioritizing typically overlooked schools that experience greater need, we’re able to make a bigger impact.” 

Swipe Out Hunger will begin its 2024 Swipe Grant cycle next fall. To be the first to know about the upcoming cycle of Swipe Grants and other funding opportunities, sign up for Swipe Out Hunger’s newsletter.

Students and staff at Phoenix College’s Student Life and Leadership receiving a Swipe Grant.

Pantry staff at the University of Montana’s UM Food Pantry receiving a Swipe Grant.

Students and staff at Hudson County Community College’s Hudson Helps Resource Center receiving a Swipe Grant.

Students at the University of Michigan’s Maize & Blue Cupboard receiving a Swipe Grant.

Students at Bowling Green State University’s Falcon Food Pantry receiving a Swipe Grant.

About Swipe Out Hunger
Swipe Out Hunger is one of the leading national nonprofits committed to ending college student hunger. Swipe Out Hunger collaborates with colleges and universities to promote on-campus solutions, policy and advocacy, and community building practices to address students impacted by food insecurity. Since 2010, Swipe Out Hunger has enabled 6.8 million meals across more than 750 campuses in all 50 states and Canada. For more information, visit swipehunger.org.

Media Contact:
Janelle Raymundo
Director of Communications 
Swipe Out Hunger
[email protected]