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For the fourth consecutive year, University Credit Union (UCU) is matching donations to help end hunger in Maine. Donations made online or in-person at any UCU location between November 15 and December 31 will be matched and donated, up to a total of $25,000 in 2021. Anyone can participate in the UCU Ending Hunger campaign and have their donation matched. Credit union membership is not required.
Donations made through UCU will go to the Campaign for Ending Hunger and provide critical supplemental funding for local food assistance programs, which have seen increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes community-based programs, such as local and regional food banks and pantries, as well as college campus-based programs throughout the University of Maine System.
As a state with a large seasonal economy already negatively impacted by COVID-19, Maine routinely sees a rise in demand for food assistance during cold weather months. Additionally, newly published research by the University of Maine, Husson University, and the Maine Campus Compact found severe food insecurity among Maine college students as of 2018, with 69% of students surveyed reporting having experienced issues such as an inability to eat balanced meals, worry over insufficient money for food, missing meals, lack of access to fresh produce, skipping meals to feed someone else, and not eating for 1-2 days.
“Access to adequate, nutritional food is foundational to personal health and wellbeing,” said Renee Ouellette, UCU President and CEO. “As a member-owned financial institution, our priority is helping Mainers advance their financial wellbeing every day and that begins with food. By making a gift before December 31, donors can double their impact on the fight to end hunger and on the lives of Mainers in need.”
For more information, visit ucumaine.com/endinghunger.