Help fight food insecurity during UA 4 Food

UA 4 Food, the annual food drive dedicated to fighting hunger and food insecurity in Southern Arizona, begins Feb. 17. The campaign is part of UA Cares, a series of university initiatives designed to promote community service and giving.

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to leave nonperishable food items and hygiene products in one of more than 100 donation boxes on campus. Donations will be equally divided between the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and the university's Campus Pantry, which provides food staples at no cost to students and employees. Those attending the Tucson Festival of Books at the university on March 15 and 16 can also bring donations to UA Cares volunteers near the Cherry Avenue Garage.

"UA 4 Food is a powerful way for the University of Arizona community to come together and make a tangible impact on food insecurity in Southern Arizona," said Nick Hilton, director of community relations and UA Cares coordinator. "This campaign isn't just about collecting food. It's about fostering a culture of compassion and generosity across campus. We're proud of what we've accomplished through UA 4 Food over the years, and we hope to see even more Wildcats get involved this spring."

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Hilton said the most needed food items include cereal, oatmeal, canned soups, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta, peanut butter, canned tuna and chicken, and packaged nuts and seeds. The most requested hygiene products include bars of soap, hand soap, body wash, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner and menstrual products.

UA 4 Food will conclude on March 24 with the popular Stuff the Cat Tran event, when volunteers will load donations onto a 40-foot Cat Tran shuttle on the University of Arizona Mall. Once it's full, the donations are divided up equally then delivered to the Campus Pantry and Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

Workplace giving campaign raises more than $160,000

The annual UA Cares workplace giving campaign, which ran from Oct. 28-Dec. 6, brought in more than $160,000 in pledged monetary donations. The contributions are going to 40 local nonprofits as well as 80 University of Arizona Foundation accounts that support programs and initiatives on campus.

The campaign allows employees to donate to any department, college, program or initiative through the University of Arizona Foundation or to local nonprofit organizations through the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona. This year's campaign introduced a new flexible payroll deduction system enabling employees to start deductions at any time and choose how long they wish to contribute.

"For years we've wanted to give employees full control over their deductions," Hilton said. "Employees can now select any nonprofit and give to them at any point in time. We're really excited about that."

This year's campaign highlighted five local giving opportunities that resonated strongly with organizers and donors. Below are details about how the funds will directly benefit the organizations and the community.

• The Sister José Women's Center received $8,074 in pledges, which will cover the cost of more than 200 nights of emergency shelter for women as well as meals and access to a caseworker.
• The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona received $4,524 in pledges, which will provide more than 750 meals to people struggling with food insecurity.
• The University of Arizona Campus Pantry, which distributes food staples to students and employees at no cost, received $17,663 in pledges. That will cover the cost of more than 2,900 visits. 
• The United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona raised $75,415.50 in pledges, which will enable the organization to provide 12 books each to more than 1,200 children in Southern Arizona.
• The Employee Emergency Fund, which provides financial aid to employees facing temporary hardship as a result of unexpected emergency expenses, raised $5,600 in pledges, which is enough to cover 37 utility bills.

Employees also donated their time to the campaign, including participating in three featured service projects. A Nov. 1 blood drive in partnership with blood services provider Vitalant collected enough blood to positively impact 87 people. Cleanup and beautification projects on Nov. 2 in the Jefferson Park neighborhood and Mansfield Magnet Middle School brought in a total of about 80 volunteers.

The honorary co-chairs for this year's UA Cares campaign are Lovely Ganthier, accountant in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, and Tessa Dysart, assistant vice provost for Native American initiatives and clinical professor in the James E. Rogers College of Law.

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More opportunities to give

UA Cares also coordinates a blood drive each semester. The next drive is March 27 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the lower level of the Campus Store in the Student Union Memorial Center. Those interested in donating can register online. Last semester's blood drive, which took place on Sept. 24, collected enough blood to positively impact 183 individuals in Southern Arizona hospitals.

With the new flexible donation system and a full calendar of engagement opportunities, Hilton hopes campus units will more actively participate in UA Cares.

"People across the university will sometimes reach out and say, 'I want to do a blood drive, how can I do that?' We're always happy to help and be a sounding board for folks who want to set up their own events," Hilton said.

Those interested in further supporting the campaign can become UA Cares ambassadors, who promote UA Cares initiatives within their units. Julie Bell, an administrative associate with Housing and Residential Life, has been involved with UA Cares since joining the university in 2014.

"It's such a great feeling to support my community and my campus," Bell said. "This is my home, and UA Cares makes it so easy to get involved while you're at work. I'd encourage anyone to get involved."

Contact Hilton at hilton@arizona.edu for more information about UA Cares and how to get involved.