Donation Drives
UCSC Dining partners with campus and community organizations to support students and local residents facing food insecurity. Through three annual donation drives—Swipes for Slugs (held twice a year) and the Second Harvest Food Bank Holiday Donation Drive—students can give back by donating unused Slug Points, Banana Bucks, or Flexi Dollars. These efforts provide a meaningful way to help ensure year-round access to healthy food for peers and neighbors alike. Whether supporting fellow Slugs or contributing to broader hunger relief across the county, every donation makes a difference.
When donation drives are active, visit the donate meals page.
Swipes for Slugs
Inspired by the national Swipe Out Hunger movement, Swipes for Slugs is a joint initiative between UCSC Dining and the Dean of Students Office to help address food insecurity on campus.
The program runs twice a year—during winter and spring quarters—and allows students with meal plans to donate Slug Points and Banana Bucks in increments of 5, up to a total of 50 points per drive.
Your donation supports fellow Slugs in need and helps build a stronger, more supportive campus community.
Second Harvest Food Bank Holiday Donation Drive
Each fall, UCSC joins together for the Second Harvest Food Bank Holiday Donation Drive, a campus-wide effort to fight hunger in Santa Cruz County. Students can donate up to 50 Slug Points, Banana Bucks, or Flexi Dollars—100% of every donation goes directly to providing food for local individuals and families in need.
Second Harvest Food Bank helps provide three healthy meals for every $1 donated. Each year, Second Harvest distributes over 10 million pounds of food to more than 150 local sites, including UCSC Slug Support, Student Union Assembly, Family Student Housing, and campus Basic Needs pantries.
Need food support? We are here to help.
If you or someone you know is experiencing food insecurity, contact the Dean of Students Office at deanofstudents@ucsc.edu. For urgent food needs, call the Slug Support crisis line at 831-459-7003, available Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (excluding holidays).