Program counts toward UNM’s $1 million United Way goal
Meal Exchange is a Canadian based hunger awareness event with the University of New Mexico being the first United States educational participant. Now in its second year, UNM’s Skip-A-Meal initiative was a great success, with more than 1,400 meals raised from dorm residents.
“The total from $3 per meal and our other donations was about $4,500. The donated LoboCash, dining points and monetary donations was about $250. We are waiting for exact numbers, but we have received confirmation that it is very close to this amount,” said Tullivan Begay, president, UNM Meal Exchange.
Begay said that the LoboCard office was essential in this process because they had to enter every resident Banner ID number in by hand.
“This year we are donating to the Storehouse, New Mexico’s largest food pantry; and the Bethel Community Storehouse, a food bank that assists impoverished citizens of the Greater Estancia Valley. Seeing the huge contribution from UNM residents to hungry New Mexicans is heart-warming,” said Marina Weisert, UNM Meal Exchange campus relations chair.
As with last year’s donations, the amount raised this year goes toward UNM's $1 million United Way goal.
Begay said, “We wanted to increase participation, especially from dorm residents and set an ambitious goal of 1,000 meals.” Weisert coordinated the Residence Life, recruiting a team of about 20 to recruit residents to donate a portion of one or two of their La Posada dining hall meals.
Any student could donate a meal, LoboCash, dining points and/or cash. “Chartwell’s, our campus food service provider, donated $3 per meal donated, representing approximately the cost of the food minus overhead,” Weisert said.
The Skip-A-Meal team started three weeks ago throughout the dorms, and last week the group set up a table where residents could donate.
“We used the motto ‘No resident left unasked,’ in order for the Skip-A-Meal team to surpass the 1,000 meal goal," said Weisert. "This year we made the event educational by providing contributors with research about hunger concerns in the U.S. and New Mexico. We provided pages with U.S. and New Mexico hunger facts as well as descriptions of the two organizations to whom we’re providing the donations."
For more information on the UNM ‘Live United’ campaign individuals may contact Campaign Coordinator Connie Beimer at (505) 277-0204, via e-mail, unmuw@unm.edu or visit: Live United.
Posted by scarr at November 19, 2009 12:01 PM