loading
Compass Group and NU Dining present sustainable innovations at national conference to combat food insecurity on college campuses
EVANSTON, Illinois — Northwestern University Dining (NU Dining) has been donating surplus meals to Chicago-area nonprofits that feed the hungry and offering healthy solutions for students who are food insecure, officials said.
NU Dining along with Compass Group, powered by Chartwells Higher Education, delivered hot lunches and dinners to 2,200 students every day for two weeks as they observed a self-quarantine period at the start of the year. When Compass Group, which operates NU Dining, saw that not all meals were being claimed and consumed, they donated the meals, decreasing food waste, while providing meals for those in need.
“As members of the Northwestern community, we know how important it is to give back,” Jennifer Byrdsong, Compass’ Vice President of Dining Operations, said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear to us how lucky we all are to have food to eat. When we saw that there were hundreds of meals left over, we felt it imperative to launch a program of rapid food recovery.”
After the first lunch service left almost 500 unclaimed meals, NU Dining began devising a food recovery program. Within 24 hours, a full-scale food recovery effort was planned out in close partnership with the Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC) and with multiple nonprofits throughout the greater Chicagoland region. By the end of the two-week period nearly 11,000 meals had been donated to the following organizations:
Addressing Food Insecurity on Campus
Nearly half of the full-time undergraduate students at Northwestern University are on some form of financial aid through grants or need-based scholarships.
“Students who are food insecure often experience a double disadvantage — hunger and social isolation,” said Lisa Carlson, registered dietitian nutritionist for NU Dining. “Our approach is to provide multiple resources to help students gain confidence in the kitchen and enjoy making delicious and healthful meals.”
The Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education recognized the collaboration between Compass and NU Dining to create sustainable innovations to combat the challenge of food insecurity faced by students on campus. The partners presented Hungry Minds: Fighting Food Insecurity on College Campuses in October at the 2020 Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education, which highlighted the following programs:
Dawn Aubrey, Ph.D., MBA, FMP, CEC, CCA, Chartwells Higher Education, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Receives Highest Honor from the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS).
read more
Chartwells recognized by partners for ongoing commitment to elevating student experiences at colleges and universities nationwide
read more
Partnership with Jubilee Hilltop Ranch supports nose-to-tail initiative in campus dining
read more