Breakfast, lunch and dinner is a common idea of what a normal day of eating entails.

However, not everybody has this luxury.

Hunger doesn’t only manifest from harsh poverty on international grounds – it’s here on Midwest soil, as well. According to Feeding America, one of eight Wisconsin residents struggle with hunger.

Students at UW-Eau Claire have options to combat low grocery money in the wake of tuition, rent, books and school supplies. One of these is the Campus Harvest food pantry – a food bank that opened last fall – and there’s a new initiative to gather supplies for the coming year.

Feed My People Food Bank, a Wisconsin hunger-relief organization, is offering the Campus Harvest food pantry one pound of food for every dollar raised up to $5,000. The program will run until Oct. 17.

Eau Claire students don’t need to apply to benefit from Campus Harvest. Julie Carr, the pantry’s administrative supervisor, said nobody asks any questions when students come in to receive food. All students need to do is provide a valid student ID and fill out an intake form.

“We just assume that if a student comes that they have a food need, they can’t afford to buy food and so they need our help,” Carr said. “That’s what the pantry is for.”

Carr said the sustainability of the pantry relies heavily on the donation challenge as it provides the funds to purchase food for the year, instead of relying on slim food donations throughout the year.

Campus Harvest served a total of 150 students last year, usually about 25 students a week. This year, about 105 students are registered. Carr said this is most likely due to the transition from summer to fall and anticipates an increase in registration as the semester progresses.

Campus Harvest is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m., and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Senior psychology major Andrea Schwabe is the operations intern at the Campus Harvest food pantry. Along with maintaining the organization of the pantry, she also works with volunteers and students attending the pantry.

Schwabe said she is passionate about the services Campus Harvest provides and that students need the pantry.

“There are people in need everywhere, and they often aren’t obvious to their peers,” Schwabe said. “I was excited that the university was taking a step towards helping those students in a direct way.”

Not only do they provide physical nourishment, but also lead students to other options of help. Students are given information and directed to local resources they may need.

Schwabe said that as a smaller-sized pantry, they greatly appreciate and accept food and monetary donations. Students and community members can donate by bringing food or money donations into the pantry, or send in checks or complete credit card donations online.

“Ultimately we hope that we can provide students with the resources they need to continue to not only survive but thrive while at UWEC and beyond,” said Schwabe. “We want students to be able to be students without worrying about basic needs.”

For more information on how to donate, visit the student affairs website.

http://www.uwec.edu/Studentaffairs/initiatives/campus-harvest-donations.htm