Students no longer have to choose between paying for tuition or food with the help of the Christian Home Area Ministry Partners’ food giveaway today.
The need for food among universities has escalated with the 27 percent increase in tuition, Betty Jones, director of Christian Home Area Ministry Partners (CHAMP), said.
CHAMP will pass out free food at the Baptist Student Union at 1604 W. University Ave. at 4 p.m. This is the first time the mobile food pantry organization will hand out food in close proximity to campus.
CHAMP will provide about 2,000 pounds of food to students, including breads, pastries, fresh fruits, vegetables, cereal, rice and frozen meats.
“We think there are students on campus who definitely need some help,” Jones said.
Jones said they are hoping to host the mobile pantries at least once a month. If sororities, fraternities or other student organizations help sponsor CHAMP, then even more mobile pantries will become available.
The charity, which has been operating for a year, partners with local food pantry Bread of the Mighty Food Bank to provide food for its giveaways.
“Over the summer, we got many calls from college students just looking for food,” Jones said.
Jones said when students’ financial aid runs out, they often don’t have the money to pay for food.
Students like Devon Leasure, an 18-year-old UF political science freshman, believe that the food pantry will help out a lot of students.
“Students need to spend their money on education and tuition, and many might not have the luxury to buy things as necessary as food,” Devon said.
Although Kaley Pinner, a 19-year-old UF applied physiology and kinesiology sophomore, supports CHAMP and the assistance it brings to students, she said students could abuse the pantries by taking food when they are not truly in need.
“There is definitely a need out there,” Pinner said. “I just hope the organization is used in the right way.”
Organizations looking to help out with the mobile food bank can donate $200 to put on their own food drive.
Jones said the mobile pantry is first come, first served, but if the pantry has food left over, students may walk through the line again for a second time.
“The goal is to leave with nothing but the shirts on our backs and empty boxes,” Jones said.
[A version of this story ran on page 3 on 9/17/2014 under the headline "Food giveaway for low-income students"]
