fbpx

Student Spotlight Meredith Song, University of Minnesota

Swipe Out Hunger would be nothing without our leaders on-the-ground leading the charge to end food insecurity on campus. Students like Meredith Song from the University of Minnesota (UMN) are not only key to seeding change at the grassroots, but are the ones actively catalyzing it. Meredith’s leadership, along with her peers, has galvanized an incredible movement at UMN. She took a few moments to help us understand what has been so successful and her vision for the future. 

Meredith Song repping their DIY Swipe Out Hunger mural at a Swipe Drive at UMN.

The UMN program is over a year old and in this last drive, you saw an impressive 500% increase in donated swipes. As a student leader, what do you think contributed to this large increase in donated swipes this drive?

Our partnerships with our campus health system (Boynton) and the Nutritious U Good Pantry have been instrumental in our improvement from last semester. As a small student organization, we value our relationships with these departments to help spread the word about Swipes and inform students of the opportunity to donate! Additionally, we used best practices learned from last semester to help streamline our tabling process, recruit more volunteers/marketing interns, and ensure students with meal plans were aware of our cause. 

What inspired you to join Swipe Out Hunger at UMN? Tell me about how you advocate for the program?

I kind of fell into Swipes by accident during my first year at the university, when the founder of the organization, David Begelman, was just starting out. However, after he graduated, I stepped into a leadership role, had the chance to meet the amazing staff at the national organization, and fell in love with the mission and values of Swipes. It is such important work at a local scale, and being able to make a tangible impact on college student experiences motivates me to stick with it, even if there are often challenges! We definitely team up with departments like Boynton to help advocate for our organization. 

Tell me about your experience with on-campus dining in pushing for the program.

Dining has been generally supportive, but we have run into a lot of obstacles along the way. One of the biggest barriers has been the two swipe donation limit imposed by dining at the beginning of this academic year. That really hampered our numbers and impact for the Fall drive, so part of our strategy for the Spring was to negotiate a higher cap. While dining didn’t budge on this aspect, we still utilized social media, flyers, and targeted advertising to collect more swipes than the Fall, despite the donation limit. While it is frustrating at times, we are grateful that dining allows us to run the program here, and that we’re able to continually discuss improvements. 

What do you think the effect of Swipe Out Hunger has been on UMN’s campus?

Our evaluation from Swipes last year has shown that many graduate, international, and first-generation students are utilizing the program. It is amazing to hear stories directly from those who have benefitted from having a few emergency meal swipes, and it’s especially gratifying to see increased awareness of the resource, which hopefully accompanies decreasing stigma surrounding food insecurity. 

What are you dreams for Swipe Out Hunger at UMN? 

My dreams for Swipe Out Hunger are a bit far-fetched, but I ultimately hope for the program to not have to exist at all. In an ideal world, our dining systems would provide and distribute adequate, nutritious food for all students. In the meantime, I hope for Swipes to grow as a student group and continue to make material changes in the realms of food insecurity and justice. 

Stay connected to all of the incredible work the UMN Swipes Team is accomplishing via their Facebook here

Other Blog Posts

Vlog: Swiping Out Hunger in the Twin Cities

Vlog: Swiping Out Hunger in the Twin Cities

Swipe Out Hunger Awards Over $420,000 in Grants to More Than 100 Campus Pantries

Swipe Out Hunger Awards Over $420,000 in Grants to More Than 100 Campus Pantries

Transact Partners with Swipe Out Hunger to Address College Student Food Insecurity

Transact Partners with Swipe Out Hunger to Address College Student Food Insecurity

Campus Spotlight: The Passionate Staff of U-Access Food Pantry at UMass Boston

Campus Spotlight: The Passionate Staff of U-Access Food Pantry at UMass Boston

Northeastern Resources LLC and the Lighthouse Foundation Launch “The Art of Philanthropy” Campaign in Partnership with Swipe Out Hunger

Northeastern Resources LLC and the Lighthouse Foundation Launch “The Art of Philanthropy” Campaign in Partnership with Swipe Out Hunger

Four Ways to Support First-Generation College Students

Four Ways to Support First-Generation College Students

Support Your Local Campus Pantry For Giving Tuesday!

Support Your Local Campus Pantry For Giving Tuesday!

Introducing the 2025 Student Leadership and Advisory Council (SLAAC)

Introducing the 2025 Student Leadership and Advisory Council (SLAAC)

Swipe Out Hunger Partners with TIAA to Support First-Generation College Students

Swipe Out Hunger Partners with TIAA to Support First-Generation College Students

Swipe Out Hunger’s 2024 Year in Review

Swipe Out Hunger’s 2024 Year in Review

Three Ways to Get Involved with Swipe Out Hunger this Fall

Three Ways to Get Involved with Swipe Out Hunger this Fall

Swipe Out Hunger Welcomes New Board Members

Swipe Out Hunger Welcomes New Board Members

Insights from the Trellis 2023 Student Financial Wellness Survey

Insights from the Trellis 2023 Student Financial Wellness Survey

A Student Advocate’s Guide to Sustaining a Movement Through Self-Care

A Student Advocate’s Guide to Sustaining a Movement Through Self-Care

A Student’s Perspective On The Impact of SNAP Incentive Programs

A Student’s Perspective On The Impact of SNAP Incentive Programs

A Day in the Life of A Nursing Student Fighting Hunger in Rural Arkansas

A Day in the Life of A Nursing Student Fighting Hunger in Rural Arkansas

Our Campus Survey: More of Your Questions Answered

Our Campus Survey: More of Your Questions Answered

3 Key Takeaways From Our National Campus Survey

3 Key Takeaways From Our National Campus Survey

4 Things To Know About Leading An Anti-Hunger Movement

4 Things To Know About Leading An Anti-Hunger Movement

Introducing the Inaugural Swipe Out Hunger Student Leadership and Advisory Council (SLAAC)

Introducing the Inaugural Swipe Out Hunger Student Leadership and Advisory Council (SLAAC)

This Giving Tuesday, Give Back to Your Local Campus Food Security Program!

This Giving Tuesday, Give Back to Your Local Campus Food Security Program!

Implementing Innovative Food Security Programs with Everytable

Implementing Innovative Food Security Programs with Everytable

Swipe Out Hunger Partners with The GIANT Company to Award $300,000 in Grants to Fight College Student Hunger

Swipe Out Hunger Partners with The GIANT Company to Award $300,000 in Grants to Fight College Student Hunger

Swipe Out Hunger Launches 2023 Impact Report

Swipe Out Hunger Launches 2023 Impact Report

Supporting Accessible & Healthy Meals for Students with Plug-In Pot™

Supporting Accessible & Healthy Meals for Students with Plug-In Pot™

365 Days at Swipe: Live Q&A with Executive Director Jaime Hansen

365 Days at Swipe: Live Q&A with Executive Director Jaime Hansen

Swipe Out Hunger Announces New Board Members

Swipe Out Hunger Announces New Board Members

Swipe Out Hunger and Ellucian Collaborate for Student Success

Swipe Out Hunger and Ellucian Collaborate for Student Success

A Holistic Approach to Student Health: The Connection Between Mental Health & Basic Needs Insecurity

A Holistic Approach to Student Health: The Connection Between Mental Health & Basic Needs Insecurity

Swipe Out Hunger Launches Inaugural Leadership Council

Swipe Out Hunger Launches Inaugural Leadership Council

Supporting College Students Through  Upcoming Changes to SNAP

Supporting College Students Through  Upcoming Changes to SNAP

Swipe Out Hunger Joins Forces with LG to Provide Healthy Meals for 500,000 College Students, Raise Awareness About Food Insecurity on Campuses

Swipe Out Hunger Joins Forces with LG to Provide Healthy Meals for 500,000 College Students, Raise Awareness About Food Insecurity on Campuses

Cultivating a Mindful and Inclusive Campus Culture: Supporting Students with Diverse Lived Experiences

Cultivating a Mindful and Inclusive Campus Culture: Supporting Students with Diverse Lived Experiences

Swipe Out Hunger Awards $15,000 in Basic Needs Recognition Grants

Swipe Out Hunger Awards $15,000 in Basic Needs Recognition Grants

Inside the Student-Led Anti-Hunger Movement in Florida

Inside the Student-Led Anti-Hunger Movement in Florida

Q&A with Jaime Hansen, Our Executive Director

Q&A with Jaime Hansen, Our Executive Director

Swipe Out Hunger Announces Board Leadership Transitions

Swipe Out Hunger Announces Board Leadership Transitions

How Campuses Are Ensuring Students Don’t Go Hungry This Break: Takeaways from our November Swipe Session

How Campuses Are Ensuring Students Don’t Go Hungry This Break: Takeaways from our November Swipe Session

Choose Your Own #GivingTuesday Adventure: Pick From 30+ Campuses To Donate To Today!

Choose Your Own #GivingTuesday Adventure: Pick From 30+ Campuses To Donate To Today!

Swipe Out Hunger Announces the 2022 Nachman Justice Award Recipients

Swipe Out Hunger Announces the 2022 Nachman Justice Award Recipients

Swipe Out Hunger Awards $3,000 Grants to Thirty Campus Pantries

Swipe Out Hunger Awards $3,000 Grants to Thirty Campus Pantries

Campus Champions: Recognizing Student Leaders with the Nachman Justice Award

Campus Champions: Recognizing Student Leaders with the Nachman Justice Award

An Update from Our Founder

An Update from Our Founder

Swipe Out Hunger Announces New Executive Director Jaime Hansen

Swipe Out Hunger Announces New Executive Director Jaime Hansen

Building a Movement: Pennsylvania Students Advocate for Food Security

Building a Movement: Pennsylvania Students Advocate for Food Security

Celebrating the Success of Former Foster Youth

Celebrating the Success of Former Foster Youth

College Campus Food Pantries: Learnings from a 2021 Survey

College Campus Food Pantries: Learnings from a 2021 Survey

5 Things To Know About The Campus Pantry and College Hunger Landscape

5 Things To Know About The Campus Pantry and College Hunger Landscape

Swipe Out Hunger and TOP The Organic Project Partner to Support College Students

Swipe Out Hunger and TOP The Organic Project Partner to Support College Students

2022 – 2024 Strategic Plan

2022 – 2024 Strategic Plan

Swipe Out Hunger Announces Microgrants to 17 Campus Pantries

Swipe Out Hunger Announces Microgrants to 17 Campus Pantries

Win a Case of Tampons for Your Campus Pantry!

Win a Case of Tampons for Your Campus Pantry!

Chobani and Swipe Out Hunger Partner to Help College Students Experiencing Food Insecurity on 23 Campuses

Chobani and Swipe Out Hunger Partner to Help College Students Experiencing Food Insecurity on 23 Campuses

Swipe Out Hunger Acquires the College and University Food Bank Alliance

Swipe Out Hunger Acquires the College and University Food Bank Alliance

Comments

Comments for this post are closed