VCU Dining Services requires on-campus freshmen to have a dining plan to reduce food insecurity and starvation. Great, now what about sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students? Instead of letting thousands of swipes go to waste at the end of a semester because the student did not use them - why not create a service in which all leftover swipes get automatically transferred to a program that other VCU students battling food insecurity can use? Similar to a food pantry, or the on campus one designed for students, Ram Pantry, this program could be monitored and conducted the same way through the Division of Student Affairs, Ram Pantry, or VCU Dining Services. Creating a structure in which each individual student can request up to a certain amount of swipes a week would ensure that the system does not get abused. On average, freshmen end a semester of college with over 50 swipes leftover that goes to waste ($526.50 in value, $10.53 a swipe).This program would benefit all students at VCU and ensure that students can focus more on their classes than where their next meal will come from.

https://commonwealthtimes.org/2021/03/10/vcu-dining-plan-holders-left-behind-more-than-230000-swipes-last-fall/

232,000 potential meals for struggling students - all gone to waste.

Please sign this petition for VCU to create a pilot program like this! Other schools like UCLA also do this.

https://www.uclaswipeouthunger.org/work/swipes-drive