UA4Food will benefit the Community Food Bank and Campus Pantry at a time of critical need

Image

Image

The popular Stuff the Cat Tran event will return this year to cap off UA4Food, the annual campus community food drive. After a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, UA4Food will run from March 14-April 13 and benefit the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and the University's Campus Pantry.

Monetary donations also can be made directly to the Campus Pantry or the Community Food Bank. Visit the UA4Food website for links to online donation forms.

Since 2004, UA4Food campaigns have collected more than 214,400 pounds of food and more than $366,000 in monetary donations.

Members of the campus community can place nonperishable items in donation boxes on campus throughout the campaign. A list of donation box locations will be available on the UA4Food website. On the final day, donations will be loaded onto a 40-foot-long Cat Tran parked at the Mall for delivery to the Campus Pantry and the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

Nick Hilton, assistant director in the Office of Government and Community Relations, says the food bank supports a variety of organizations throughout southern Arizona, including the Campus Pantry, which provides food staples at no cost to students and employees experiencing food insecurity. In 2019, UA4Food brought in 3,129 pounds of food, with the Campus Pantry receiving 1,365 pounds of that total.

"The food bank has struggled significantly with the pandemic," Hilton said. "COVID has stopped many of the food drives in the community that the food bank relies on. We're happy to be one of the first to be coming back to support them."

To do that, Hilton says the effort will need volunteers. He is looking for people to become ambassadors for their departments and units and set up collection boxes in their buildings. Those interested in volunteering can email Hilton at hilton@email.arizona.edu.

Among those ambassadors is Christina Rocha, supervisor on the Research, Innovation and Impact Business Center transaction team. Rocha organized UA4Food from 2015-19, and says she is happy to stay involved.

"Food insecurity is a very serious problem," Rocha said. "There are so many people who are in need. Just to know that you are helping your fellow students and employees is amazing."

For every dollar donated, Rocha said, the Community Food Bank can provide four meals to people in need.

Employees who are working mostly from home can make monetary donations online or make a drive-up donation during the Stuff the Cat Tran event, being held on the Mall near Cherry Avenue.

Some of the most needed food items include:

• Peanut butter
• Cereal and granola bars
• Canned soups
• Canned fruit
• Canned vegetables
• Canned tomato products
• Canned meats
• Rice and pasta
• Beans