The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Big Orange Pantry will compete in the first-ever Schools of the Southeastern Conference Food Fight from Monday, April 5, to Saturday, April 17. The donation drive will take place in collaboration with pantries from across the SEC to combat food insecurity and support campus community members in need. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the university are all invited to participate.
The Big Orange Pantry provides emergency food assistance and other essentials for the UT campus community. The initiative began in the fall of 2020 after studies showed food insecurity and basic need assistance as a growing cause of concern at public higher education campuses across the nation.
Each school will assign a point value to items they need most, and the pantry with the most points earned at the end of the competition wins. The Big Orange Pantry will offer points for hygiene products, cooking supplies, and financial support. Item drop-off locations can be found on the Big Orange Pantry website. Monetary donations can be made through the Big Orange Pantry VOLstarter.
The donation drive will allow the pantry to expand its offerings beyond meal assistance to include basic need items like cooking utensils, toothpaste, and body wash, among others. Those interested in contributing to the donation drive should gather items and plan to drop them off at a designated donation site during the April 5–17 window.
The Big Orange Pantry also welcomes volunteer help, with opportunities listed weekly on the Jones Center for Leadership and Service Sign Up to Serve Calendar. Contact bigorangepantry@utk.edu with any questions.
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CONTACT:
Maddie Stephens (865-974-3993, msteph44@utk.edu)