Duke students put surplus food points to use

A meal at the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club is always a treat, but students with extra food points at the end of the Spring semester have the opportunity to use these points for charitable purposes.

Because food points—which are equivalent to one dollar—do not roll over from the Spring semester to the following Fall, many students strive to use their extra points to avoid them going to waste. Although some students use these points to treat friends to meals at pricier venues such as the Washington Duke or the Nasher Café, others purchase food from on-campus stores to support canned food drives, which are organized by student groups.

“We had the idea to partner with Duke stores to allow students to do something good with their food points,” said junior Stephanie Engle, the chief executive officer of Campus Enterprises.

Last year, Campus Enterprises—a student-run company with the goal of bettering students’ college experiences—conducted a food drive for the benefit of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. They placed bins in stores on East, Central and West Campuses and received more than 1,000 cans bought by students, Engle said.

The Food Bank of CENC told Engle that Campus Enterprises’ donation was one of the largest they had ever received.

“When our group made the delivery, which required three cars, the workers all applauded,” Engle said.

She added that Campus Enterprises’ efforts helped university stores clear their inventory in a productive way. This year, the group plans to begin their food drive during finals week when most students will need to use the rest of their food points.

Rick Johnson, assistant vice president of student affairs for housing, dining and residential life, said that unused food points go to support Duke Dining and help fund improvements for students such as the renovations responsible for Red Mango and the Bryan Center location of The Loop Pizza Grill in 2013.

Chronicle File Photo

Students can also donate food points through food drives hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ, an interdenominational Christian ministry at Duke. These food drives benefit Urban Ministries of Durham, which works to meet the emergency needs of the poor and hungry.

Senior Bailey Sincox, a student intern for Cru, said that last year she bought more than $100 worth of canned food for the cause. She noted that it’s easy for Duke students to complain about extra food points and be complacent with their privilege while forgetting those who live on the street.

“I enjoy the privileges [at Duke] but also feel convicted to share the excess with those who feel a lack,” she said.

Currently, the only way for students to donate their food points is by purchasing food from Duke stores and giving these items to food banks. Engle said that Duke Dining could enhance these charitable efforts by allowing grocery delivery services to be a vendor on food points.

Several students said they supported the efforts to use extra food points to assist food banks.

“I think most people have enough to donate to charity and still take their friends to meals,” said senior Chris Murphy.

Engle said she feels donating to food banks is much more rewarding than splurging on fancy meals.

“This is better in my eyes than going to the WaDuke and treating 10 friends,” she said. “It’s our way of giving back to Durham.”

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