The Daily Campus

Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Matt Lin Students used donated flex passes to raise money for local homeless shelters.

If you went to any one of the dining halls on campus last night for dinner, you were probably asked if you wanted to "swipe a meal" for charity. For several years now, CONNPirg has organized this event, which takes place once every semester.

In years past, PIRG has managed to raise an average of $10,000 each semester. For every individual swipe that a student contributes, $2 is donated to charity.

'The difference between the cost of a meal and the dollar amount donated comes from dining services' need to pay for staff, electricity, etc.," said Amanda Ploch, a 5th-semester political science and human rights major who has been involved with PIRG since her freshman year. "The two dollars is the raw cost of food."

This year's proceeds will be split between My Sisters' Place and the No Freeze Shelter.

Since 1982, My Sisters' Place has provided homeless women and children in Hartford with a safe place to live when they are suddenly forced to leave their homes because of domestic abuse, unemployment or mental illness. Besides emergency housing, My Sisters' Place provides women with transitional housing and the opportunity to rent affordable apartments.

The No Freeze Shelter in Willimantic from this event provides basic overnight housing to persons over the age of 18, during the cold months of November through April.

Morgan England, a 3rd-semester undeclared major, believes that this event should happen more often.

"I definitely think that the swipe-a-meal event is a good idea because most students don't use all of their meals anyway," she said. "This way, the extra money goes toward a good cause."

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