Winthrop University’s Food Services Company Awarded Grant for Student Hunger

January 23, 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The $6,000 grant was awarded to Sodexo, Winthrop’s food services provider, through a partnership with Swipe Out Hunger, the leading nonprofit addressing college student hunger, and The GIANT Company, a leading grocery retailer serving families across the Mid-Atlantic region.
  • Helen Hoban, Sodexo general manager at Winthrop, said her company will use the grant to support on-campus food pantries through the Dean of Students Office and the Department of Human Nutrition. 

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Winthrop University is one of more than 60 college campuses awarded money this winter to combat student hunger. 

The $6,000 grant was awarded to Sodexo, Winthrop’s food services provider, through a partnership with Swipe Out Hunger, the leading nonprofit addressing college student hunger, and The GIANT Company, a leading grocery retailer serving families across the Mid-Atlantic region. The two entities awarded a total of $300,000 in grants to campuses in the Swipe Out Hunger network, making it the largest one-time gift that Swipe Out Hunger has ever received.

Helen Hoban, Sodexo general manager at Winthrop, said her company will use the grant to support on-campus food pantries through the Dean of Students Office and the Department of Human Nutrition. 

Nationally, more than one in three college students faces food insecurity. With the growing demand for hunger relief programs on campus, these grants from Swipe Out Hunger enable colleges to strengthen their on-campus food pantries and ultimately better meet the needs of their students. With The GIANT Company’s additional funding, campuses across the country– and their students– will get critical support for their basic needs. 

“With the repeal of pandemic-era benefits for students and the continued high cost of food and other living expenses, this partnership with The GIANT Company comes at such a crucial time for campuses,” said Jaime Hansen, executive director of Swipe Out Hunger. “Not only is it a milestone for our organization as the largest one-time gift in our history, but it’s also an incredible source of support for college pantries to grow their resources to end hunger on their campus.”

The GIANT Company, who has a decades-long legacy of supporting the communities it serves, is doubling down on their commitment to eliminate hunger through this partnership with Swipe Out Hunger.  

About The GIANT Company
The GIANT Company​ believes that no matter where or how, when meals happen, families connect, and when families connect meaningfully, good happens. Guided by its brand platform, For Today’s Table®, the omnichannel retailer proudly serves millions of neighbors across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and New Jersey. With more than 35,000 talented team members supporting 193 stores, 133 pharmacies, 107 fuel stations, and over 180 online pickup hubs and grocery delivery service in hundreds of zip codes, The GIANT Company is changing the customer experience and connecting families for a better future. Founded in 1923 in Carlisle, Pa., The GIANT Company family of brands includes GIANT, MARTIN’S, GIANT Heirloom Market, GIANT Direct and MARTIN’S Direct. The GIANT Company is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA. For more information, visit the GIANT or MARTIN’S websites. 

About Swipe Out Hunger
Swipe Out Hunger is the leading national nonprofit committed to ending college student hunger. Swipe Out Hunger collaborates with colleges and universities to promote on-campus solutions, policy and advocacy, and community building practices to address students impacted by food insecurity. Since 2010, Swipe Out Hunger has enabled 6.8 million meals served across more than 600 campuses in all 50 states and Canada. For more information, visit swipehunger.org.

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