By Caroline Averitt | Staff Writer

Swipe Out Hunger, a national non-profit organization, partnered with Arkansas State University to provide meal swipes for students in order to combat hunger on the campus. 

Swipe Out Hunger, founded in 2010 by a group of students at the University of California, Los Angeles, partners with college campuses across the United States and Canada to address the needs of students dealing with food insecurity. According to swipeouthunger.org, the organization promotes, “on-campus solutions, policy and advocacy pathways and community building practices to address student hunger.” 

Volunteer A-State and SGA sponsor this event on the A-State Campus. The two organizations partnered with Sodexo in order to make this event happen. From Jan. 30 to Feb. 3, students without meal plans can apply to receive meal swipes or Flex dollars. Students with meal plans can donate up to five meal swipes or the equivalent amount in Flex dollars. 

Madeleine Volner, a senior strategic communications major from Jonesboro and the President of Volunteer A-State, said, “Our goal basically is to provide students in need to access to food on campus.”

Volner said through her work with the A-State Food Pantry through Volunteer A-State, she has seen food insecurity on campus. 

Brooke Leonard, a junior elementary education from Cabot and the Special Events Chair of Volunteer A-State, plans any special events Volunteer A-State sponsors, which includes Swipe Out Hunger. 

“Some of our Red Wolf family, they can’t afford these meal plans and they can’t afford to eat so we need to make sure that we can support our other Red Wolves,” Leonard said. 

Students can apply for swipes or donate swipes online or by stopping by the table in the Carl R. Reng Student Union. Links for applications and donations can be found on the Volunteer A-State social media pages and the Daily Digest. 

Carlee Bird, the president of the Student Government Association, said many who need swipes do not apply. She said SGA and Volunteer A-State plan to reach more students in need this year. The program, however, does see many donations. 

“I always am donating my Flex left and right because I’m never going to get close to using it,” Bird said. 

Ellie Mayberry initiated the partnership with Swipe Out Hunger as an SGA senator in February 2021. Mayberry later served as SGA president. Volner said since the partnership began, it has continued to grow. 

Campus closed for inclement weather the evening of Jan. 30, which affected SGA and Volunteer A-State’s ability to host a table in the Student Union. Students will still be able to apply and donate online. 

“I’m thinking we’re going to work really hard to promote it through social media and really try and get word of mouth spreading out there, and so hopefully they’ll receive just as many donations,” Bird said. 

According to swipeouthunger.org, one in three college students in the United States face food insecurity. 

“There’s tons of people on this campus that struggle with food insecurity and this is a great way and very tangible way for students to partner with us to combat that,” Volner said.

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