The Final Countdown *dunna na naa*
The semester is wrapping here at the University of Montana, and the weather is taunting us all. March was a productive month at the UM Food Pantry — we distributed 1,547.80 lbs. of food & hygiene products through 33 Grab-n-Go bags and 102 in-person visits, and we received a TON of support from our community! We also have some pretty exciting developments in the works. Here’s the latest:
UM’s annual Big Give campaign resulted in $3,175 in donations to the UM Food Pantry. Additionally, the March Madness food drive, sponsored by the College of Health, brought in 320 lbs. of food & hygiene products for our customers! Thank you to everyone who showed up in support of our cause.
In other news, we are excited to announce that we have begun a small-scale bread rescue operation. Food waste is a huge problem in the United States today, which is why many grocery stores choose to participate in local food rescue programs. Reducing food waste in our community is one of our guiding principles, and we are so excited to have partnered with WinCo Foods to pick up their excess bread on a weekly basis. So far, our efforts have helped to divert over 400 lbs. of bread from the landfill! Our customers are loving our selection of wheat, white & whole grain loaves, buns, English muffins & bagels. We intend to keep our Grab-n-Go shelf stocked with bread at all times so that anyone may access it outside of our business hours.
We have also been working with partners across campus to make sure that everyone has access to fresh fruits & vegetables. Thus, we have created a new program to harvest, promote, and distribute fruits & vegetables grown on campus, and we are currently searching for the right candidate to help get this pilot program up & running. This person should have a passion for food justice and be eager to get their hands dirty! All those who are interested may learn more and apply here.
Lastly, the #RealCollege 2020 survey results are in, and believe us- THIS data deserves a blog of its own! Stay tuned for a #RealCollege 2020 special feature, where we discuss basic needs insecurity the University of Montana & college campuses across the country.
Before we go, the UM Food Pantry would just like to wish all UM students good luck with their final exams! Make sure to eat well & get plenty of rest during this final stretch… And hats off to our graduates! Summer, here we come.
