Food Access Initiatives

Here at Carolina, we work hard every day to ensure our Tar Heels are well fed and happy. As a food service provider, we recognize our duty to incorporate initiatives that increase and improve access to affordable, nutritious food on our campus, while also providing additional resources to food insecure students. We want to ensure that CDS is a resource for those who are facing food insecurity, and to be transparent about the current offerings.

We donate the following annually:

  • A set amount of Meal Swipes to Student Affairs to distribute at their discretion to address student food insecurity. 
  • Two (2) Weekly Meal Plans to Housing or Student Affairs to be assigned by semester to students at their discretion. 
  • Emergency meal plans to the Dean of Students Office. 
  • $10,000 to the Student Dining Board toward a food insecurity project(s) of their choice. 
  • $10,000 to Edible Campus, an initiative of the North Carolina Botanical Garden that manages nine campus gardens, which are free for community members to forage from. 
  • Annual Meals for Heels meal swipe donation program in partnership with Financial Aid, Student Affairs, and UNC One Card. 

We also provide the following during the academic year: 

  • Support the Carolina Cupboard and Carolina Pantry Network through biweekly produce donations, food donations from our Farm Stands, and additional donations when available. 
  • Weekly donations of surplus prepared food from our dining halls and retail restaurants to the Inter-Faith Council Community Kitchen in partnership with the Food Recovery Network.  
  • Additional access to fresh produce on South Campus through our Farm Stands. 
  • Produce and grocery items are available for purchase in Rams Market. 

To learn more about additional campus resources, including locations and operating hours for UNC’s on-campus pantries, gardens, & community fridges, please visit Food Security – Dean of Students. 

We are proud to support the Carolina community. If you have any additional questions regarding our efforts, please contact us at 1.800.UNC.MEAL or through our website.

Meals for Heels: Donate a Swipe, Make a Difference

Join UNC’s Swipe Out Hunger initiative! This program, developed by CDS, Financial Aid, Student Affairs, and UNC One Card, allows students with an active CDS meal plan to donate one meal or guest swipe to help fight food insecurity on campus. Donated meals will go directly to students in need. One small action can make a big impact.

In Fall 2025, 269 students donated to our first Annual Meals for Heels donation drive  – help us reach our goal of 500 swipes this fall! 

Fall 2026 Donation Period: November 16th-20th  

How to Donate:

  • Open the GET Mobile App
    • On the home page, scroll down until you see “Meal Donation”
  • Click “Donate a Meal”
    • Select the meal plan you are donating from
  • Confirm Your Donation
    • Choose the amount (one meal) and click “Donate“