Provide Solace for Hungry Students
Alumnus and generous UNF supporter, Bruce Ogier, who named the Frederick and Ophelia Tate Ogier Gardens in honor of his parents, is matching gifts up to $1,000 to this Giving Day project! We invite you to double the impact of your gift and spread the word.
Please support our efforts to nourish students with fresh fruits and vegetables and help us provide a sanctuary for students to safely engage with nature and one another in the UNF Ogier Gardens.
On-Campus Ogier Gardens
The Ogier Gardens focuses on food production and donates 100 percent to the UNF campus food pantry. The Gardens strive to create a healthier UNF community through nature contact while growing crops and social connections, demonstrating sustainability and biodiversity, and nourishing people with local, fresh and delicious food.
How Your Donations Make a Difference
UNF students report they are hungry and need support to improve their nutrition. In 2022, UNF and the National College Health Assessment surveyed 916 students. Of the participating students, 46.4% were categorized as experiencing "low" or "very low" food security. This means that thousands of UNF students have reduced the quality, variety or desirability of their diet because of lack of money and other resources. In worst-case situations, students are reducing their actual food intake.
Why Your Support is Important
With your support, students will know how and where to access food, have more points of access across campus, and have an increased amount and variety of nutritious foods. Your funding will help us hire and pay for student staff jobs in the Gardens, as well as acquire new equipment and supplies to increase the Gardens' productivity. Key outcomes we plan to influence as a result of your support include: increased volume of fresh produce to the food pantry, increased volume of students served, reduced number of meals skipped due to lack of money for food and reduced number of students reporting hunger.