A student-led initiative is asking TCU students to put their remaining Campus Cash funds to good use before they expire.
“Don’t Trash Your Campus Cash” asks students to use their leftover Campus Cash to buy non-perishable goods at campus dining locations and put them in donation bins. Once the school year ends, the goods will be donated to local food banks.
Rafael Cecenas, junior engineering major and creator of the initiative, wants to help address the issues with food waste at TCU.
“I just see a big problem in which TCU is aware of dining resources being misused, going to waste, and being misallocated,” said Cecenas. “All of this happens while some students are currently still having to compromise eating for other expenses like gas, bills, or rent.”
Students can donate from May 3 to May 7 until 8 p.m. The donation boxes will be located at four cafes on campus including Kinder Café, Union Grounds, The Press and Bistro Burnett.
“Since we are making use of campus cash these are the 4 places that sell non-perishable goods on campus and students can use their campus money here,” said Cecenas. “Also, these four locations span the entire campus from one side to the other, so hopefully they reach all student traffic locations.”
The initiative is looking for non-perishable, sealed and packed items to be donated. Anything that must be consumed shortly after purchase will not be accepted.
Donations will be shared between several food banks and missions in the Fort Worth area.
Cecenas hopes that this food drive will have a lasting impact at TCU and help bring awareness to the food waste issues on campus.
“I just want to bring awareness to these issues and begin to discuss solutions,” said Cecenas. “Overall, this can be achieved by informing people of the huge amount of food waste as well as a waste of food resources on TCU’s campus.”
Cecenas said he would love to partner with TCU Sustainability in the future to help further this initiative.
It is encouraged that students who plan on donating go this page to sign up.
