Student government partnered with UNK Dining Services at the end of last semester to introduce Swipe Out Hunger, an initiative that allows students to donate unused meal swipes to support the Loper Pantry and reduce food waste on campus. The program raised $2,341, which was donated directly to the Loper Pantry.
The program was led by student government Vice President Paige Oltmans, who said the idea originated during her campaign for office after noticing a recurring issue among students with meal plans.
“This was an idea I first had when campaigning for my position as vice president alongside President Schroeder,” Oltmans said. “I had noticed that hundreds of student meal plan swipes are wasted because they are not used. I then had the idea to develop a program to help donate them back to campus, and what better place to donate them than the Loper Pantry.”
Swipe Out Hunger allowed students to donate up to five unused meal swipes by writing down their name, NUID and the number of swipes they wished to contribute. A percentage of the donated swipes was then converted into funds to support the Loper Pantry, which provides food and essential items to UNK students in need.
According to Oltmans, planning the initiative required collaboration with campus administrators and Dining Services.
“I was put into contact with Michael Christen, who is the current director of business services here at UNK,” Oltmans said. “At our first meeting, I outlined my goals for the program and potential logistics. From there, it took about a month of communication to develop the program through negotiations and feedback from student government.”
Oltmans said food insecurity among college students was a major reason the student government wanted to address the issue. Many students rely on the Loper Pantry, particularly during academic breaks when dining halls are closed or when students lack transportation to purchase groceries.
“This is a vital student resource,” Oltmans said. “Instead of donating directly, I wanted to develop a way for the whole campus to give back and eliminate waste.”
Students who participated in the program expressed positive reactions. Javon Leuty, a UNK student who uses the cafeteria regularly, said Swipe Out Hunger provided a meaningful solution to a common problem.
“I tend to have way too many swipes left over and always feel bad wasting them,” Leuty said. “I think it’s really cool what the student government is doing by allowing students to donate meal swipes instead of letting them go to waste.”
Oltmans said feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive, though some participants expressed interest in donating more than the five-swipe limit.
“The only comment I got is that some students wish they could donate more than five,” Oltmans said. “This would not be possible, however, because Sodexo unfortunately could not pay out every swipe donated.”
Andria Finnegan, a UNK student who donated meal swipes, said the initiative made it easier for students to support their peers without additional cost.
“As a college student, money can be tight, so being able to help other students just by donating swipes I wasn’t going to use felt really meaningful,” Finnegan said. “It’s something small, but it can make a big difference for someone who needs it.”
Oltmans said student government hopes to expand Swipe Out Hunger and make it a recurring program in the future.
“It is absolutely a goal of mine to expand the program and make it sustainable,” Oltmans said. “I am very happy that this program was such a success, and I am excited to continue to expand the program and get feedback from UNK students.”
