Hunger has no place in education.

Join our movement and help end food insecurity at UCNJ today.

The Challenge:

In a world where food insecurity is one of the greatest barriers to student success at UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ. A recent student survey revealed alarming trends among students:

• 64.8% worry their food will run out due to lack of money (up from 52.7%)
• 56.4% reported going hungry because they couldn’t afford food (up from 51.9%)
• 29.9% said they lost weight due to lack of access to food (up from 26.9%)

Our Response - Nourish the Future:

Nourish the Future is making a measurable difference across our campuses. In our first year:

• More than 1,100 students received emergency meal vouchers
• 9,382 free lunches were distributed through Hoot’s Lunchbox, supporting 1,961 students
• 1,628 students attended on-campus Farmers Markets
• Hoot’s Market saw 4,607 visits — a 71.84% increase over last year

The impact goes beyond meals: Students who participated in our food insecurity programs saw a GPA increase of more than 4%.  

Why We Need You:

Despite our progress, the need continues to grow. More students are turning to our programs for help, and we must be ready. We have found that nutrition directly supports academic success. So, this is more than just making sure our students have food. It’s about equity, dignity, and opportunity. With your support, we can:

• Expand meal voucher access for at-risk students
• Increase the frequency and capacity of Hoot’s Lunchbox
• Stock Hoot’s Market with more fresh and nutritious options
• Host more Farmers Markets across all campuses

YOUR GIFT NOURISHES MORE THAN BODIES -IT NOURISHES FUTURES.

Join us as we build a campus where no student has to choose between food and their education.