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Tennessee’s community colleges and TCATs have launched their 26th annual Food Drive Challenge, collecting food and cash donations for campus food pantries and local food bank programs serving their communities.

Through Dec. 6, students, faculty and staff are collecting and donating food and cash. Anyone may donate food items and cash – at collection events announced by nearby colleges or by contacting the student support offices at your nearest community college or Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT). Cash contributions may also be made online anytime at https://www.tbr.edu/advancement/college-system-tennessee-food-pantry-campaign, with proceeds distributed to the colleges.

The Food Drive Challenge was conceived in 1999 by the Student Government Presidents Council – student leaders from across the state – as a project to help fellow students and others in their communities in need. Students have kept the food drive going for 26 years, competing with each other in tiers based on enrollment size to see which college can collect the most.

Over the years, more than 1.7 million items and funds converted to items have been collected. (For the competition, cash donations are counted as two items per dollar raised. During the 2023 campaign, 128,039 items were donated.

“Everyone’s a winner in this challenge but the institution with the highest total, per size and category, also wins bragging rights,” said Dr. Heidi Leming, TBR vice chancellor for student success and strategic partnerships.

A 2023 report, Food Insecurity and Higher Education, by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) cited a considerable body of research concluding that students experiencing food insecurity are less likely to excel academically and more likely to report stress levels that hinder their ability to focus on their studies.

THEC features a webpage listing food assistance resources, including food banks and food pantries on campuses and in communities across the state. Addressing food insecurity among students is a priority of the 13 community colleges and 24 TCATs comprising the College System of Tennessee and the Tennessee Board of Regents, which governs the system. Any college in the system will connect students to local services when students indicate need.