In our very own backyard, there are families going hungry. Many areas in the Twin Cities do not have consistent access to affordable, quality and nutritious food. A study done by the University of Minnesota showed that 39.8 percent of people in the Twin Cities have experienced food insecurity, more than two and a half times the national average. Some are homeless, some are young parents and some are children. All of them have been overlooked in the larger scheme of our society. However, Dining Services here at the University of St. Thomas has taken admirable action to combat this issue by allowing students to give back directly to their community.

The meal donation program takes place at the end of each semester. During finals week, students are allowed to donate one meal swipe per day. This donation goes to local food pantries that provide assistance to local families experiencing food insecurity.

However, is it enough? Many students are unaware of the program entirely. While other initiatives such as a tray-less cafeteria and meatless Mondays get promoted through a variety of channels all over campus, the meal donation program does not even appear on the dining services website, and it suffers from its anonymity. For the students who are aware of and participate in the program, the parameters only allow students to donate up to seven meals. For most, this does not even make a dent in the total meals left over after a semester. So what happens to these extra meals? Nothing. They cannot be used during the next semester nor refunded.

Therefore, dining services needs to expand the meal donation initiative. It should begin with better advertising. Students need to know about the program in order to participate. The constraints on the amount of meals students can donate also need to be expanded. With no other option of what to do with extra meals, students are being left with huge surpluses on their meal plans. Freshmen especially often have upwards of 50 meal swipes left over at the end of a semester. Since these meals that have been paid for are nonrefundable and expire at the end of the semester, it would be an obvious decision for any student to donate extra swipes to the meal donation program so they can help people going hungry in the Twin Cities.

The meal donation program is an innovative idea that gives students an effortless opportunity to help those who are suffering nearby. However, there is more than can be done and should be done. A more expansive program means more meals being donated and more people being able to feed their families. It’s all for the common good.