The University of Utah is renewing its effort to address food insecurity in the community. On Oct. 1, the U launched its annual Tackling Hunger Together campaign with a collection event at Smith’s in East Millcreek featuring U students and alumni. Participants were entered to win U prizes—including tickets to the Utah vs. Arizona State football game.

Organized by the Student Alumni Board in conjunction with the Utah Food Bank, the food drive is a longstanding tradition at the U that makes a lasting impact on communities across the state.

“It’s always been a huge need, so we’ve been doing food drives for over 20 years now,” said Kevin Stoker, director of student engagement and events at the University of Utah. “It’s a big community effort.”

Last year, the campaign collected 2,651 pounds of non-perishable items and took in $10,508 in financial donations. There are many ways to contribute and participate, Stoker added. The first event was on Wednesday, Oct. 1, from 3-5 p.m. at the Smith’s in East Millcreek, located at 3215 S. Valley Street.

“We’ve tried to make it easy for everybody to be able to participate, not just give, but if they want to get involved in other ways too,” Stoker said. “We’d love to have folks helping us do some of these activities, spread the word and get as many people to participate in as possible.”

While collections will be accepted at various sites around the area, food and monetary donations can also be made directly to the Utah Food Bank. For details on designated donation sites, click here.

Serving every county, the Utah Food Bank is among the few food banks in the nation that supply food free of charge through a statewide network of approximately 270 partner agencies. In 2024, over 65.5 million pounds of food were distributed to individuals and families throughout Utah, the equivalent of nearly 55 million meals.

Tackling Hunger Together runs from Oct. 1 through Nov. 4.