West Long Branch, NJ – Monmouth University's 'Hawks Helping Hawks' program, which collects non-perishable food donations to help end and aid food insecurity issues on campus, is hosting a month-long competition against Big South rival Kennesaw State to see who can collect the most donations.
The competition will run the month of October, leading up to the Hawks and Owls' showdown in Kennesaw, on Nov. 2, where the final tally of which campus gathered the most donations for their respective on-campus pantries.
At the next two Monmouth University Football games, fans who bring non-perishable food items for a donation to the program will receive a free coupon for a buy-one get-one offer to any upcoming on-campus ticketed event.
The Athletics Department in conjunction with Monmouth's Student Government Association will be collecting food items for the competition at the following on-campus events:
- 10/11/19 Field Hockey vs Maine 3PM
- 10/12/19 Football vs Presbyterian 1PM
- 10/16/19 Men's Soccer vs St. Peter's 7PM
- 10/18/19 Football vs Gardner-Webb 1PM
- 10/20/19 Field Hockey vs Columbia 12PM
- 10/23/19 Men's Soccer vs Quinnipiac 7PM
- 10/30/19 Women's Soccer vs Fairfield 7PM
"As college students, we know that financial difficulties and the strains of life in school can be a burden that can prevent members of our community from being able to access food," Monmouth Student Government Association President Mehdi Husaini said. "After incurring the rising costs of housing, tuition, and books, as well as other costs, many students find themselves straining to pay for groceries and healthy food. The idea for a campus pantry came to us after attending a workshop at the Conference on Student Government Associations in Houston, TX. I learned that nearly 30 percent of college students suffer from food insecurity annually--Monmouth is not immune to this issue. As President of SGA at Monmouth last year, I wanted our main focus of the year to be fighting hunger at our school."
Over the past year Monmouth's SGA has fed over 450 students through the student-created on-campus food pantry, The Nest. Currently located on the lower level of the student center with operating hours three days per week, The Nest exists to serve students without meal plans by providing nonperishable food and toiletries. We have donation bins located in the following locations:
- 1st floor of Wilson Hall
- 1st floor of Student Center (across from Santander Bank)
- The Guggenheim Library
- The Graduate Center
- Ocean First Bank Center (entrance area)
Kennesaw State's Campus Awareness, Resource & Empowerment (CARE) services offers support to students who have experienced homelessness, food insecurity and/or the foster care system.
For more information on The Nest or the 'Hawks Helping Hawks' program visit
https://www.monmouth.edu/sga/student-government-association/the-nest/
