As student hunger increasingly becomes a concern at Long Beach State, the school has offered a way for dorm residents to donate meals from their plan to those in need since 2015.
The Feed A Need event from Feb. 3 to 9 allows students who are struggling with food stability to be distributed meals through resident hall meal plans. Donation booths are set up at Parkside, Hillside and Beachside colleges to raise awareness for the cause.
“[Feed A Need] was started by [the] campus community to provide security to students in need,” said Sabrina Ware, coordinator of Beach Pride Events. “[It] started in 2015, and students can donate a meal from their dorming meal plan to the student emergency fund.”
According to Ken Kelly, director of the Basic Needs Program and the Women’s and Gender Equity Center, meals are distributed through the Student Emergency Intervention and Wellness Program in Kelly’s office.
According to Jolene Sagan, case manager for division of Students Affairs, any student is able to donate.
Students can donate one meal per semester with the goal to reach 1,500 meals donated for the 2019 spring semester.
Students donate their meals by filling out a form at any campus dining hall. Tables are set up which will have volunteers collecting students’ names, ID numbers, meal plan and resident location in order to access the meal donation.
“The meals donated go onto the students ID card when they redeem it,” said Taylor Buhler-Scott, ASI assistant director, programs. “To redeem the meal, students go to supportingstudents@csulb.edu.”.
The 49er Shops stated it will match up to 300 meals toward the cause. This is not the first time 49er Shops has done this, as in fall 2018, when 1,482 meals were gathered through student donations and with the help of 49er Shops, there were 1,782 meals.
Junior Macey Klipp, a journalism student donated one of her meals from Beachside dining hall.
“I donated because I have the 210 meal plan and that is way more than enough meals for me and I always end up with leftover meals,” Klipp said. “I didn’t even think twice about donating because I knew that I was going to help someone even if it was just one meal.”