An innovative initiative to address food insecurity on and around college campuses in North Carolina is launching its fourth annual effort. The Food Lion Feeds Collegiate Hunger Challenge, held in partnership with North Carolina Campus Engagement, encourages 15 North Carolina colleges and universities to compete against one another to see which student body collects and donates the most food to neighbors in need. Food Lion Feeds is Food Lion’s hunger-relief platform, and North Carolina Campus Engagement is a collaborative network of colleges and universities committed to educating students on civic and social responsibility.
Through the competition, Food Lion Feeds and North Carolina Campus Engagement will award up to $22,000 in cash and prizes to winning colleges for their efforts to fight hunger on and around their campus. Throughout the challenge, which runs from Sept. 26, 2022, through Jan. 6, 2023, the participating colleges and universities earn points based on several activities the school participates in, all centered around combating food insecurity and raising awareness about the issue. Since the statewide Collegiate Hunger Challenge began in 2018, 28 North Carolina colleges and universities have participated. As part of the challenge, each school selects one or two MVP Student Hunger ambassadors responsible for leading the effort.
“We know hunger on and around college campuses is a significant issue, and we’re excited to partner with the next generation of leaders to find solutions for our neighbors in need,” said Kevin Durkee, Manager, Food Lion Feeds. “The Collegiate Hunger Challenge is a creative way to address food insecurities in our communities and support our partners in education.”
The Collegiate Hunger Challenge also kicks off in September to align with Hunger Action Month™, a time when Food Lion Feeds deepens its commitment to raise awareness and inspire action to help people facing impossible choices resulting from food insecurity.
“This is such a powerful example of how higher education and business can partner to address a public issue for which they both are concerned, such as hunger and food insecurity,” said Leslie Garvin, Executive Director of North Carolina Campus Engagement. “It is so exciting to witness the passion and hard work of the student hunger ambassadors as they develop the civic skills to continue to be community leaders in the future.”
The 2022 Collegiate Hunger Challenge participating North Carolina schools are:
| University Partner | City |
| Appalachian State University | Boone |
| Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte |
| Davidson-Davie Community College | Lexington |
| Durham Technical Community College | Durham |
| East Carolina University | Greenville |
| Elizabeth City State University | Elizabeth City |
| Fayetteville State University | Fayetteville |
| Guilford College | Greensboro |
| North Carolina Central University | Durham |
| Piedmont Community College | Roxboro |
| Queens University of Charlotte | Charlotte |
| University of North Carolina, Charlotte | Charlotte |
| University of North Carolina, Greensboro | Greensboro |
| University of North Carolina, Pembroke | Pembroke |
| University of North Carolina, Wilmington | Wilmington |
Original source can be found here.
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