Krishna Lunch has launched a feature on its Facebook page called Humans of Krishna Lunch as a part of its campaign to fund the Plaza of the Americas renovations.
The posts include pictures of people eating with quotes about their experience. Photographer and Krishna Lunch employee Amy Hollis said the project aims to connect members.
“We wanted to collect stories not just for the fundraising campaign but to help the Krishna Lunch community grow,” she said. “These Krishna Lunchers are all individuals all doing the same thing every day but don’t really know each other.”
The Krishna Lunch Forever campaign is collaborating with the UF Foundation to help raise money for the renovations on the Plaza of the Americas, which will include new seating areas and tables. The Krishna campaign has already raised about $45,000, said Bob Cohen, the campaign’s director.
“Most of the money will be spent on infrastructure underneath, so groundwater will drain and grass and trees will grow to be greener,” Cohen said.
UF senior philanthropic adviser Carter Boydstun estimates plaza renovations to cost about $1.6 million. The UF Foundation has $300,000 in commitments from alumni toward funding the upgrades.
“The sooner we have the revitalization completed, the faster students will be able to benefit from it,” he said.
Boydstun said because of UF’s longstanding affiliation with Krishna Lunch, working with them was an easy choice.
Along with raising money, part of the campaign and project is to get more students to come out to Krishna Lunch.
Worker Hladini Lorence, 18, said Humans of Krishna Lunch will make the event more personable.
“Usually the pictures get around 10 to 20 likes,” she said. “It gives everyone a chance to get to know Krishna Lunchers.”
[A version of this story ran on page 3 on 2/3/2014 under the headline "Humans of Krishna Lunch project funds renovations, unites eaters"]
