Tennessee's community & technical colleges collected more than 163,000 items of food & cash for food pantries in their 27th Annual Food Drive Challenge

Students, faculty and staff at Tennessee’s community colleges and colleges of applied technology collected and donated the equivalent of 163,175 food items during TBR-The College System of Tennessee’s 27th Annual Food Drive Challenge.

The donations go to campus food pantries for students in need and to local food banks and programs serving their communities. In addition to food donations, campuses collected cash contributions, which count in the collection totals as two items per dollar raised. This year’s food drive greatly surpassed last year’s total of 110,851 items.

Since the Food Drive Challenge was launched in 1999 by student leaders, the campuses have collected and donated a cumulative total of 2,017,637 food items and cash.

The colleges engage in a friendly competition – in tiers based on enrollment size – to see who can collect the most. Eighteen Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) and nine community colleges across the state participated in this year’s challenge.

Top-collecting institutions by student enrollment size this year are:

Community Colleges

• Tier 1 (smaller enrollments): Roane State Community College – 20,954 items.
• Tier 2 (larger enrollments): Pellissippi State Community College – 66,012 items.

Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology

• Tier 1: TCAT Oneida/Huntsville – 5,643 items.
• Tier 2: TCAT Upper Cumberland – 6,143 items.
• Tier 3: TCAT Dickson – 7,654 items.

In addition to the food drive, many campuses reported extending their generosity through other initiatives, including:

Angel Tree and other toy drives:  Jackson State, Northeast State, Roane State and Southwest Tennessee community colleges, and TCATs Athens, Crump, Henry/Carroll, Knoxville, Murfreesboro, Pulaski, and Upper Cumberland.

Student support: Pellissippi collected household goods, hygiene products, school supplies, pet food, and more for students in need.

Backpack, clothing and coat drives: Motlow State Community College and TCATs Chattanooga, Hartsville and Pulaski.

Other support: TCAT Jacksboro collected purses and wallets for a domestic violence prevention agency; TCAT Jackson donated to the Center for Prevention of Child Abuse.

“This year’s challenge reflects an extraordinary spirit of kindness and generosity across the system. Congratulations to the colleges and their students, faculty and staff for this tremendous effort. Their commitment to supporting their campus communities, and their broader communities, is inspiring – and joyful during this holiday season,” said Dr. Heidi Leming, Tennessee Board of Regents vice chancellor for student success and strategic partnerships.

The Food Drive Challenge was conceived by the Student Government Presidents Council – student leaders from across the state – as a project to help fellow students and others in need. The colleges have kept the campaign going each year from early November to mid-December. Food items and funds are used to stock campus food pantries and also support community food banks, non-profits that provide food assistance, and other local support agencies.

Food insecurity is a major challenge on college campuses, in Tennessee and across the nation. A 2023 report by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission cites research concluding that students experiencing food insecurity are less likely to excel academically and more likely to report stress levels that hinders their ability to focus on their studies.