When you walk around Colorado State University’s campus, it’s hard to imagine that one out of every 10 students struggles with food insecurity. But that’s the reality for more than 2,600 students you see every day.

Rams Against Hunger was established to help combat this problem. The innovative program provides meal card swipes to students in campus dining halls, providing them with one healthy meal per day – which is one more than many students would be getting without the program.

The impact of the program is real. Students in the Rams Against Hunger program are more likely to have higher GPAs, stay in school and make it to graduation than students who remain on the wait list for the program. Nearly all – 94% – of the students in the program are Colorado residents, and 72.2% are first-generation college students.

Changing lives

“Not only am I getting the healthy meals that I need to succeed, it’s helped me establish a routine,” said one student in the program for the first time. “I’ll go to campus an hour before class so I can be in the dining hall working on homework beforehand and reviewing the things that I need. It’s been an integral part of my success during the day.  It really grounds me.  That routine that I can establish is pretty pivotal to my ability to lay out my day, succeed in what I’m doing, think through everything, rather than scrambling because I don’t have anything to eat and would end up just going to class hungry.”

Support any CSU fund on Giving Tuesday

You can support Rams Against Hunger on Tuesday, Dec. 3, CSU’s annual Giving Tuesday. Even a few dollars can make a difference and provide more students with the opportunity to benefit from Rams Against Hunger. Or, if you would rather support another CSU program, Giving Tuesday is the perfect time to do it.

“Your donation is greatly appreciated and you’re actually changing a student’s life,” said one Rams Against Hunger recipient.