What is the UVA Clubs Cavaliers Care Food Drive?

The Cavaliers Care Food Drive is an effort to bring awareness to food insecurities. The food drive encourages UVA alumni, parents, and friends to support food initiatives. The UVA Clubs Cavaliers Care Food Drive has kicked off and concludes on December 31st.

How can I get involved?

The UVA community can make an impact. Alumni, parents, and friends can join fellow Wahoos in supporting the Cavaliers Care Food Drive through one of four ways:

1. Donate food products to a local food bank, shelter, kitchen, or pantry.
2. Make a financial donation to support food insecurities locally or through a national organization.
3. Support the UVA Community Food Pantry on Grounds. This student-run organization works to provide food and hygiene products to UVA students and staff with food insecurities on Grounds.
4. Give personal time to support a food organization as a volunteer.

Tell us how you supported the Cavaliers Care Food Drive

What is food insecurity?

The US Department of Agriculture describes food insecurity as households who experience difficulty with access to adequate food for active healthy living which is limited by lack of financial and other resources.

The Department of Agriculture shows that in 2019

• 10.5 percent of households were food insecure in the United States at some time during the year, 4.1 percent of those households (5.3 million households) had very low food security.
• 13.6 percent of households with children were food insecure.

A recent Feeding America analysis demonstrates that approximately 54 million people (1 in 6 people) may experience food insecurity in 2020, including 18 million children (1 in 4 children).

The Impact

1.  On average, 12 pounds of food can provide up to 10 meals for people in need.
2.  A 2016 study shows wholesale grocery value is $1.67 per pound.
3. Volunteerism is a driving force in transforming organizations and communities. Each year UVA students, alumni, parents, and friends donate their time to serve their communities. Many spend their time supporting food pantries or soup kitchens, preparing backpack lunches for school-aged children, collecting food at various events, and more.

Current Progress*

*updated daily