food lion feeds

Fighting Hunger & Food Insecurity

NCCE seeks to support our member colleges and universities as they respond to the needs of their campus and community. Since 2010, addressing food insecurity, especially among students, has been a special focus of our network. In addition to hosting the NC Hunger Corps AmeriCorps VISTA, we have engaged in the activities below.

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NC Collegiate Hunger Partnership 

Since 2018, NCCE has partnered with Food Lion, LLC grocery stores, and their Food Lion Feeds initiative to address food insecurity and fight hunger. 

Hunger Campaign and Challenge

A key component of this partnership is the annual NC Collegiate Hunger Campaign and Challenge. Through the Challenge, NC colleges and universities raise awareness about and engage in activities to fight food insecurity. They compete to win prizes to support their local hunger-related initiatives, such as campus-based food pantries, campus or community gardens, food recovery efforts, and fresh produce distribution. Twenty-eight NCCE member campuses have participated to date. 

As part of the challenge, each school selects one or two MVP Student Hunger Ambassadors responsible for leading the effort. Each participating school receives funds to support the activities and to provide a stipend to the student Ambassador(s).  

Applications to participate in the Hunger Challenge open in the spring, and the challenge takes places the following fall semester.

Since 2021, the Partnership has also included food pantry capacity grants and gifts cards awarded each spring to campuses who do not participate in the fall Hunger Challenge.

As part of the partnership, Food Lion also makes the opportunity available to a community college to receive support to host an NCCE AmeriCorps Hunger Corps VISTA. Alamance Community College received support in 2022.

Questions about the Hunger Challenge? Contact Sam Delap at sdelap@ncengage.org. 

 

Colleges/universities who have participated in the partnership since 2018:

  1. Alamance Community College
  2. Appalachian State University
  3. Brevard College
  4. Bennett College
  5. Campbell University
  6. Central Piedmont  Community College
  7. Davidson College
  8. Davidson-Davie Community College
  9. Duke University
  10. Durham Technical Community College
  11. East Carolina University
  12. Elizabeth City State University
  13. Fayetteville State University
  14. Greensboro College
  15. Guilford College
  16. Guilford Technical Community College
  17. High Point University
  18. Lenoir-Rhyne University
  19. Methodist University
  20. NC A & T State University
  21. NC Central University
  22. NC State University
  23. Pfeiffer University
  24. Piedmont Community College
  25. Queens University of Charlotte
  26. UNC Asheville
  27. UNC-Chapel Hill
  28. UNC Charlotte
  29. UNC Greensboro
  30. UNC Pembroke
  31. UNC School of the Arts
  32. UNC Wilmington
  33. Wake Forest University
  34. Wake Technical Community College
  35. Warren Wilson College
  36. Western Carolina University
  37. William Peace University
  38. Wingate University
  39. Winston-Salem State University

 

2024 NC Collegiate Hunger Challenge Participants

The 2024 NC Collegiate Hunger will take place from September 9 – December 20, 2024.

 

  1. Alamance Community College
  2. Davidson-Davie Community College
  3. Duke University
  4. Elizabeth City State University
  5. Greensboro College
  6. High Point University
  7. Methodist University
  8. North Carolina A&T State University
  9. North Carolina Central University
  10. Piedmont Community College
  11. Queens University of Charlotte
  12. UNC Pembroke
  13. UNC Asheville
  14. Warren Wilson College

Spring 2024 – Food Pantry Capacity Grants

The following NCCE member campuses received support for their on-campus food pantry. Thanks to Food Lion for their ongoing support to address student food insecurity.

Grant Recipients ($1000)

Davidson-Davie Community College

East Carolina University

Guilford Technical Community College

Methodist University

Warren Wilson College

Western Carolina University

William Peace University

Wingate University

Challenge Winners 2023

Grand Overall Prize – Greensboro College ($10,000)

1st in Sector – Private – High Point University ($5,000)

1st in Sector – Public – NC A&T State University ($5,000)

1st in Sector – Community College – Durham Technical Community College ($5,000)

Most Food Items Collected: UNC Pembroke

Most Creative Event: Greensboro College

Social Media Bonus: Greensboro College

Challenge Winners 2022

1st place – UNC Charlotte ($10,000)

2nd place – UNC Pembroke ($7,000)

3rd place – East Carolina University ($3,000)

Social Media Prize –  NC Central University
($1,000 FL gift card)

Souper Bowl Food Drive Winner – ECU
($1,000 FL gift card)

Challenge Winners 2021

1st place – East Carolina University ($10,000)

2nd place – UNC Pembroke ($7,000)

3rd place – Piedmont Community College ($3,000)

Social Media Prize – Davidson College
($1,000 FL gift card)

Challenge Winners 2020

Two months into the 2020 spring competition, we had to suspend the campaign due to COVID. Despite this challenge, each participating institution received a $1,000 prize to help alleviate food insecurity that was especially exacerbated due to the pandemic. The Student Ambassadors also  received their stipend.

Special congratulations to North Carolina A&T State University who won the social media prize: a $1,000 gift card to support their on-campus food pantry.  

Challenge Winners 2018-19

Elizabeth City State University ($10,000)

NC Central University ($10,000)

Campus Food Pantry Resource Support 

In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, NCCE and Food Lion Feeds first partnered to offer gift cards to campuses to help them stock their on-campus food pantries and toiletry closets to support students remaining on campuses and/or who live locally and have need. We were able to provide $250 Food Lion gift cards to 13 campuses in the NCCE campus network. 

In March 2022, we hosted a formal mini-grant process to support existing or developing on-campus food pantries. We were able to provide eleven campuses  with a $1,000 grant plus a $500 Food Lion gift card. Two additional campuses received a $1,000 and a $500 grant only. 

Related Projects to Fight Hunger & Food Insecurity

Over the years, NCCE has hosted a variety of stand-alone or short-term initiatives and events related to food insecurity and hunger to support our member colleges and universities 

Fall 2015 – Food Access Learning Community for staff and faculty engaged in food access and fighting hunger activities.

May 2014 –  “Establishing and Maintaining a Campus-Based Food Pantry”  (webinar) 

Winter 2014-15 –  Hunger Solutions webinar series (partnership with AARP-NC)

2010-2013 – NCCE AmeriCorps VISTA program focused on hunger alleviation and program development. The 34 VISTA members, who were placed on member campuses throughout the state, assessed local food insecurity needs and developed strategies and programs and coordinated programming for “Hunger and Homelessness Awareness” week.

Fall 2012 & 2013 –  NCCE sponsored two “NC Campuses Against Hunger” conferences to explore hunger-related issues.

November 2011 to March 2012  – The “Statewide Challenge to End Hunger” promoted and collated campus efforts to address food insecurity. Thirteen NC Campus Compact members participated resulting in 19,946 pounds of food and 15,297 food items collected; 107,457 meals created or served; 7253 volunteer hours and $21,802 funds raised.