University of New Hampshire
IN-14: Food Bank

UNH has a variety of Basic Needs Support programs to alleviate fundamental challenges of food insecurity, housing and other financial concerns for students:

- Swipe it Forward is a program for UNH students who are challenged by food insecurity to simply and confidentially request and receive meal swipes for use during the academic semesters at any of the three dining halls or as a Meal to Go. In addition to in-kind support from UNH Dining, the program is sustained thanks to donations from UNH staff and faculty (who are able to contribute via payroll deductions), students (who can contribute unused "swipes" from their meal plans), and the community (who contribute online via credit card or on campus, using either.) https://www.unh.edu/dining/meal-plans/swipe-it-forward

- The Cornucopia Food Pantry, established in October 1997, is housed and run by The Waysmeet Center, to provide food and other support to UNH students, staff, faculty and their families. No one is ever turned away. Waysmeet is run by a handful of staff, and it and the Cornucopia rely on volunteers and donations from the UNH and Durham communities. https://www.waysmeetcenter.org/cornucopia/

- The Emergency Financial Assistance Fund, which provides UNH undergraduate and graduate students who are unable to meet essential expenses due to a temporary or unexpected hardship with short-term financial assistance. Students can contact the Dean of Students to submit a confidential email request for funding. The Dean of Students reviews applications and determines the level of assistance provided on a case-by-case basis. The fund can be used for the following needs: prescription and other costs related to medical, dental, or mental health; essential utilities; essential safety and security needs; academic supplies and textbooks; winter clothing needs like coats and boots; auto repairs; the UNH Parking fee; replacing essential belongings due to fire, theft, or natural disaster; individually-recommended or required services that are considered critical to a student’s success (e.g. diagnostic testing for Accessibility Resources.) Award amounts will typically range from $100 to $500. https://www.unh.edu/student-life/student-emergency-financial-assistance-fund

- The Inn Between Fund and other housing aid: The Inn Between fund is available to UNH students challenged with homelessness to pay for housing during UNH Thanksgiving, Spring Break and January Term. In addition, upon approval of the Dean of Students Office, these funds may be used to provide funds to students who have been temporarily displaced due to unforseen circumstances. Staff and faculty at UNH can contribute to fund using payroll gift form and direct gift to the Inn Between Fund. For Thanksgiving break and summer, the Dean of Students office also provides a service to connect students to resources in the community partnership with local faith groups and employers who offer housing. See more at https://www.unh.edu/student-life/housing-and-inn-between-fund#inn-between

- One additional program goes beyond UNH students to reach the broader community as well: a new food repurposing project. The College for Life Sciences and Agriculture's department of agriculture, nutrition, and food systems (ANFS) has partnered with UNH Hospitality Services, and Gather, a food pantry and food distribution network based in the nearby community of Portsmouth, to transform unused food from the UNH dining halls and donated food that would otherwise go to waste into donations for food insecure individuals and families in the greater New Hampshire Seacoast. The symbiotic partnership draws from UNH Dining’s ongoing work to reduce food waste on campus; Gather’s need for kitchen space to produce ready-to-eat meals for customers who lack access to cooking facilities and/or have mobility issues; and ANFS’s commitment to extending its farm-to-fork-to-wellness mission beyond the classroom. Twice a week, Gather’s project coordinator and chef works in one of UNH's teaching kitchens with help from faculty, staff and student volunteers, to repurpose pre-consumer "waste" from UNH dining halls and other food donations into healthy and convenient ready-to-eat meals. Once the meals leave UNH, they go to Gather’s pantry market and mobile markets for distribution. https://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/2021/07/rescue-mission