It's hard to focus when you don't know where your next meal will come from. We've compiled a list of campus and community-based resources to help you find food. Please be mindful that this is not an exhaustive list.
Swipe it Forward (Meal Swipe Program)
Swipe it Forward is a program for UNH undergraduate and graduate students who are challenged by food insecurity to confidentially request and receive meal swipes in the dining halls or as a Meal to Go. You must be currently enrolled to be considered and swipes are allotted twice per academic year.
Requesting Swipes
To request Swipe it Forward please complete the SWIPE IT FORWARD REQUEST FORM
Make a Financial Gift
Make a financial gift by using your credit or debit card to the Swipe it Forward program with UNH's Financial Gift Online Form
Donating Swipes
Consider donating your swipes to the Swipe it Forward program. There are convenient options to donate for students, faculty and staff.
Student Swipe Donations
Students may donate up to 15 swipes per year for the fall and spring semester meal plans only. Students may not donate swipes from a J-Term or Summer Semester Meal Plan. The deadline to donate swipes is April 15th. If you would like to donate meals from an existing plan, please stop into the Campus Services Office to do so.
Campus Services Office
Room 211 of the Memorial Union Building (MUB)
83 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm (Hours may change for holidays, curtailment, etc.)
(603) 862-1821
ID.Office@518331.com
Faculty and Staff Swipe Donations
Faculty and staff may donate up to 15 swipes per year when purchasing a new meal plan through the online UNH Campus Community Meal Plans Form. If you would like to donate meals from an existing plan, please stop into the Campus Services Office to do so.
Campus Services Office
Room 211 of the Memorial Union Building (MUB)
83 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm (Hours may change for holidays, curtailment, etc.)
(603) 862-1821
ID.Office@518331.com
Cats' Cupboard
UNH Cats' Cupboard, located in the MUB, helps alleviate food insecurity for the UNH community in need by providing supplemental, direct access to free, nourishing food.
To be eligible for services you must be a current undergraduate or graduate student or employee at the University of New Hampshire. Please bring your current UNH ID card with you. If possible, please bring your own re-usable bags for carrying items.
Winter Break Hours (Starting December 10th):
Wednesdays and Fridays 12-2pm
Let us know at basic.needs@518331.com if those hours don't work for you and we can try to find a time that may work best!
Location: MUB 140
Email: Seth Cross, Cats Cupboard Supervisor seth.cross@518331.com or Patty Mathison, patty.mathison@518331.com
MORE INFORMATION
Donate to the Cats' Cupboard through our Amazon Wishlist!
UNH Manchester Food Pantry
The food pantry is in room 437 and is open by appointment only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30PM-5PM.
Food items are picked up weekly by staff volunteers from the NH Food Bank and Hannafords Fresh Rescue program. If you have any questions please email UNHM.Foodpantry@518331.com or visit their website
You can donate using the Manchester Food Pantry Amazon Wishlist
If community members are not able to come to either campus, we encourage you to access this interactive map of available food resources in New Hampshire for an interactive map of available food resources throughout New Hampshire, courtesy of UNH Cooperative Extension.
Additional Food Resources
The NH Food Bank distributes food to more than 400 partner agencies across New Hampshire including food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, children’s programs, senior centers and more. Search our list of partner agencies to find a food assistance program near you. Visit the Food Map from the New Hampshire Food Bank for more options including their Mobile Pantry.
Or find the current list of Durham food pantries through Foodpantries.org's Food Pantry Locator
They not only provide listings of pantries, but also provide information on: food closets, food banks, soup kitchens, congregate meal locations, food boxes, vouchers, etc.
Their comprehensive list of food assistance programs provides full descriptions, pictures, hours, volunteer information, etc.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition benefits to eligible low-income individuals and families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency. SNAP Information Sheet
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – also known as SNAP – provides food assistance through an electronic card that can be used at grocery stores and some farmers’ markets. You may also see this program referred to as: EBT or Food Stamps.
Apply for SNAP benefits today!
To learn more and apply through NH DHHS, visit: DHHS.NH.GOV/SNAP or apply for SNAP benefits online via NH Easy
For questions about your current SNAP case, call the NH Department of Health and Human Services at 1-844-275-3447. SNAP is a federal program of the USDA and administered by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
You can get help completing your SNAP Application online by calling 1-877-347-SNAP (1-877-347-7627) or emailing the New Hampshire Food Bank at snap@nhfoodbank.org.
Are students eligible for SNAP?
Generally, students attending an institution of higher education (i.e., college, university, trade/technical school) more than half-time are only eligible for SNAP if they meet an exemption. The institution of higher education determines what is considered ‘half-time’ enrollment. Students who meet an exemption must also meet all other SNAP eligibility requirements.
Who counts as a student for SNAP purposes?
You are considered a student if you are enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education. The number of hours considered as half-time enrollment is determined by the institution of higher education.
If you are enrolled less than half-time, the student restrictions on SNAP eligibility do not apply to you.
What are the student exemptions for SNAP?
If you are a student and you meet SNAP eligibility requirements, you may be eligible for SNAP if you meet one of the following exemptions:
- Are under age 18 or are age 50 or older.
- Have a physical or mental disability.
- Work at least 20 hours a week in paid employment.
- Participate in a state or federally financed work study program.
- Participate in an on-the-job training program.
- Care for a child under the age of 6. Care for a child age 6 to 11 and lack the necessary child care enabling you to attend school and work 20 hours a week or participate in work study.
- Are a single parent enrolled full-time in college and taking care of a child under 12. Receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assistance.
- Are assigned to, placed in, or self-placed in a college or other institution of higher education through:
- A SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program;
- Certain other E&T programs for low-income households, which are operated by a state or local government and have an equivalent component to SNAP E&T;
- A program under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) (PL 113-128);
- A Trade Adjustment Assistance Program under Section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974.
If you are not sure whether you meet one of the exemptions, contact your local SNAP office to find out how these exemptions may apply to your household circumstances.
I’m on a campus meal plan. Can I still get SNAP?
If you receive the majority of your meals through either a mandatory or optional meal plan, you are ineligible for SNAP. Meal plan structure may vary from institution to institution, so state agencies should fully explore your circumstances to determine what portion of your meals are covered by the plan. You can find additional guidance on the treatment of meal plans here.
How does the end of the temporary student exemptions affect me?
If you are a student who applied or recertified for SNAP before July 1, 2023, you may have been certified under a temporary student exemption. You do not need to take any action at this time. If you are still a student when you next recertify for SNAP, you will have to meet a regular student exemption in order to keep receiving benefits.
If you are a student applying or recertifying for SNAP on or after July 1, 2023, the temporary exemptions do not apply to you. You must meet a regular student exemption to be eligible for SNAP.
Additional Information regarding SNAP and Food Assistance for College Students can be found here: http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/students
The Food Repurposing project is a collaboration, including COLSA (College of Life Sciences & Agriculture), ANFS (Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems), Hospitality Services and Gather.
The project takes advantage of underutilized kitchen space in Barton Hall. Volunteers from COLSA, Dining Services and Gather meet weekly to prepare meals with help from creative Gather head chef, Emily Gaddis. Most of the food is rescued from local grocery stores, the dining halls, UNH catering, and campus gardens. The repurposed meals are put in compostable containers and transported to Gather’s Portsmouth location and then distributed to their mobile market as well as through the UNH Cat's Cupboard.
Interested in volunteering? Complete an application through Gather and sign up under UNH Project.
If you have questions about volunteering with Gather, please contact the Gather Volunteer Coordinator at Volunteer@gathernh.org and visit the volunteer registration site by clicking on the button below.
Waysmeet Cornucopia Food Pantry
The Waysmeet Center creates positive change through direct service grounded in compassion, equity, and social justice in the NH Seacoast and surrounding communities.
The Cornucopia Food Pantry is located at 15 Mill Road in Durham, NH, inside The Waysmeet Center on the UNH campus.
They are open Tuesdays 3:00-6:00 pm, Wednesdays 1:00-4:00 pm & Fridays 12:00-2:00 pm by appointment. Please call (603) 862-1165 or email foodpantry@waysmeetcenter.org ahead of time to arrange an appointment to pick up a food box within these hours.
Donations are accepted during or outside our operating hours and can be dropped off in the donation bin inside The Waysmeet Center.
