The student-run Cavalier Food Pantry had its semesterly meal swipe drive Thursday and was open for 24 hours, with the CFP tabling at all dining halls from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. The drive collected just under 2,000 swipes, equating to an equal number of pounds of food.
To participate in the drive, students on dining plans filled out an online form with their first and last name, computing ID and their 9-digit student ID. Students had the option to donate as many as two meal swipes.
U.Va. Dine facilitated the drive by converting each meal swipe donated by a student into one pound of food that is then donated to the CFP. Andrew Smith, marketing manager for Aramark Collegiate Hospitality at the University, said that the partnership between U.Va. Dine and the CFP is one built on shared values.
“U.Va. Dine’s partnership with the Food Pantry has spread across many years,” Smith said in a written statement to The Cavalier Daily. “The swipe drive is one of the ways we empower students to support their peers in a meaningful and direct way.”
Speaking on the CFP’s mission to support students, Daniel McCain, head of marketing for the CFP and second-year College student, said he hopes that the continued growth of the CFP destigmatizes food insecurity at the University.
“On college campuses, food insecurity is often referred to as an invisible epidemic, especially [when] it’s at an institution with a lot of prestige, such as U.Va,” McCain said.
As head of marketing, McCain has focused on expanding the CFP’s social media presence — the CFP’s social media accounts have reached 174,000 impressions spread over 43,000 unique accounts and gained 200 followers. By increasing their social media presence, McCain hopes to further eliminate shame around food insecurity.
“The more of a presence we have on social media, the more people will feel comfortable talking about [food insecurity],” McCain said. “It’s hard to say, ‘Hey, I’m struggling with food and need help’ but if you see it on three of your friend’s stories, then it gets a bit easier.”
Last semester’s swipe drive collected over 2,500 pounds of food, a number that Cary Jalali, volunteer coordinator, incoming executive director of the CFP and second-year College student, wanted to beat this semester. Ultimately, slightly less than 2,000 pounds of food were collected.
Along with donating pounds of food through the swipe drive, Jalali hopes to raise awareness surrounding CFP’s resources and goals.
“There’s a big thing [when] I tell a lot of my friends who aren’t involved in this kind of work [and they go] ’Oh, wait, we have a food pantry’,” Jalali said. “We want people to know about us and we want them to come and get the resources they need.”
While the swipe drive relies on food donated by U.Va. Dine, the CFP works with a variety of organisations off-Grounds. Non-University affiliated organizations, such as the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, are especially valuable for the CFP’s increased emphasis on providing healthy and culturally diverse food options.
“We [work with] local businesses, so we have smaller markets. That way we can buy specialty foods,” McCain said. “The expansion of halal food was something that we were just able to start this semester for Ramadan.”
Saeema Habibzai, swipe drive participant and first-year College student, said she was aware that the swipe drive was occurring, but did not know about the process to donate until she spoke with representatives from the CFP at Newcomb dining hall.
“[As a first-year], I have the unlimited plan, so I’m losing nothing in the process,” Habibzai said. “It wasn’t hard to donate, so I did.”
As she enters her term as executive director, Jalali sees both room for growth and reason for optimism at the CFP. The CFP opened a new location in Student Health and Wellness, expanding their ability to provide food for students. Jalali spoke about her work at the Food Pantry beyond the swipe drive and her passion for supporting her community.
“We're basically running a non-profit as undergraduates,” Jalali said. “It's been the most fulfilling thing for me at U.Va. … It’s just really rewarding to all be working towards this common goal.”
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