UMassGives 2023

At UMass Amherst, we are on a mission to ensure that all of our students are food secure. Food security means that our students have access to enough food for an active, healthy life and that they are able to focus on their academic pursuits. You can help us provide food security to all our students with a gift today!

"I am a senior in the class of 2023. I struggled financially in my final semester at UMass and was unsure of my ability to graduate. I could not afford to be on a meal plan, so I was making all my own food. While normally I love doing so, some days, I was in lab up to 12 hours, and this meant coming back home without time to cook dinner. The meal swipes provided to me made sure that I was physically healthy on those days and did not go to sleep hungry. And I am very grateful for this. It also went a long way towards helping me maintain a healthy and happy mental state and attitude, since the stress of yet another thing was alleviated for me. Again, thank you.”

-Anonymous

 Food insecurity at colleges across the United States is a serious and widespread problem. In the 2021 study of college students in the US, #RealCollege 2021: Basic Needs Insecurity During the Ongoing Pandemic, the Hope Center found that: 

• 29% of university students were affected by food insecurity. This translates to approximately 9,293 students on our campus. 
• 48% of university students were housing insecure in the last year. 
• 14% of university students were homeless in the last year. This translates to approximately 4,486 students on our campus. 

We know that hunger and homelessness are injustices linked to historical inequities of race, class, and gender; though higher-level systemic change is needed to correct these realities, one small difference we can make is in ensuring adequate access to food resources for every student.

 “The supply closet and extra meal swipes has lifted the burden off of my shoulders so much throughout my semesters at UMass. I feel less stressed about having necessities. Although I work, it never seems to be enough. Thanks to the supply closet and extra meal swipes, I was able to enjoy my time as a college student outside of working for what i need.”

-Caroline (Microbiology BS), Public Health)