AUGUSTA — In the second year of its annual Ending Hunger on Campus Campaign to bring attention to food insecurity among Maine college students, University Credit Union raised $25,119.62 for eight self-funded food pantries within the University of Maine System─ more than triple what the credit union raised in the first year of its campaign.
Through the month of December, UCU campaigned around the state, meeting with campus food pantry volunteers and engaging with the media to raise awareness of the issue and inspire donations to the cause, which UCU matched dollar-for-dollar up to a total of $25,000. Donors could elect a specific campus food pantry to receive their donation.
In January, UCU presented campus food pantry staff with the following donations:
* $8,725.46 to the Black Bear Exchange at the University of Maine in Orono; assists 25 people per week.
* $5,116.38 to the USM Food Pantry at the University of Southern Maine in Portland; assists 20 people per day.
* $3,396 to the Thrifty Beaver Pantry at the University of Maine at Farmington; assists 15 people per week.
* $3,459.78 to the UMPI Emergency Food Pantry at the University of Maine at Presque Isle; assists 20 people per month.
* $1,622 to the UMA Community Cupboard at the University of Maine at Augusta; assists 15 people per week.
* $1,200 to the Bengal’s Outreach Food Pantry at the University of Maine at Fork Kent; assists 30 people per month.
* $800 to Food for Thought at the University of Maine at Augusta; assists 20 people per week. * $800.00 to the UMM F.O.O.D. Club at the University of Maine at Machias; assists 30 people per week.
“Our number one goal has been to build a momentum of support for campus food pantries, which rely entirely on their own fundraising and volunteers to operate,” said Matthew Walsh, president and CEO of UCU. “These pantries meet an incredibly important need and deserve our ongoing support.”
For more information on UCU’s Ending Hunger on Campus in Maine campaign, visit www.ucu.maine.edu/endinghungeroncampus/.
