Swiping For Charity

Mechanically swiping Husky One cards and devouring a buffet dinner is protocol for students living on campus. Yet, meal card money is used in a much different way just outside university grounds.

Several soup kitchens in the Willimantic region service the local impoverished community with money donated from meal cards.

In an attempt to support local establishments, the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group (ConnPIRG), Hunger and Homelessness Campaign, along with Dining Services hosted the second annual Swipe-A-Meal benefit yesterday.

In addition to Swipe-A-Meal, ConnPIRG is also putting efforts into other community service organizations.

"Some big events this semester are the faces of the homelessness panel [H&H Campaign], hunger clean-up [H&H Campaign] and the affordable textbooks hearing at the Connecticut capital," said Kaitlin Nickerson, a 2nd-semester sociology major and chief financial officer of the H&H Campaign.

Students were asked to donate a flex pass and the proceeds go toward the Holy Family Shelter and the Covenant Soup Kitchen, according to Nickerson.

Swipe-A-Meals are held twice a year; one in the fall and the other in the spring, since the early 1990's when the program was introduced. In special cases, such as Sept. 11 or Hurricane Katrina, ConnPIRG will orchestrate a day for Swipe-A-Meal. This past fall ConnPIRG raised $11,500 through Swipe-A-Meal for Hurricane Katrina victims - the most since the program started, according to the director of dining services, Dennis Pierce.

"Our goal is $10,000," Nickerson said of yesterday's Swipe-A-Meal.

According to Pierce, each meal swiped is equal to $2.25.

Dining Services is an independent corporation receiving no benefits from UConn or the state. Thus, they are only able to host two Swipe-A-Meals annually, according to Pierce.

"Unfortunately the opportunity to do this is limited," Pierce said. "We don't have the mechanisms to install it permanently. It's nice if people can donate money to an organization or cause by simply swiping their meal card."

Red flyers displayed in dining hall centerpieces advertised the event, however, as Pierce explains, it is difficult to raise money when advertisement for the event is minimal.

"[Swipe-A-Meal] is a good way to contribute," said Jill Bedard, a 2nd-semester undecided major. "I guess if they advertised it better I would have done it."