Our Commitment in Practice: Bringing Awareness to Campus Food Resources

When the recent federal government shutdown resulted in a temporary pause in SNAP funding, colleges and universities across the country faced an urgent and deeply human challenge: ensuring students could access reliable food resources and emergency support.

Food insecurity has long been a quiet crisis on college campuses. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, nearly one in four students, or 3.8 million people, experienced food insecurity in 2020 (GAO, 2024). Many reported skipping meals because they could not afford enough food. While federal benefits like SNAP help, fewer than two in five food-insecure students met eligibility criteria, and most of those who did were not receiving benefits (GAO, 2024).

As a Public Benefit Company, Motimatic is dedicated to helping institutions support students, especially during moments of real need.

Stepping In, Together

In Q4, Motimatic launched a fully-funded outreach initiative to help institutions raise awareness of campus food pantries, meal assistance programs, and emergency aid options. This effort will continue through the end of 2025, helping institutions stay connected with students who may be facing uncertainty around basic needs.

Our aim is simple: make it easier for students to discover support and take action.

Together with our partners, we reached over 44,000 students across the country with clear, compassionate messages connecting them to the food and basic-needs support available on their campuses.

What We Delivered

By removing cost and implementation barriers, we helped institutions activate student-support outreach quickly and confidently. Our team created clear, stigma-free messages encouraging students to seek help without hesitation. Examples include:

• “Eat well AND focus on school. Learn about the food resources we have for you.”
• “30% of college students experience food insecurity at some point. Learn more about the food resources we have to help.”

Campaigns were shared through social channels so the information reached students where they already spend time.

Impact Rooted in Partnership

This initiative has been shaped by collaboration with our Higher Ed partners. Institutions provided information about food pantries, emergency funds, and support services, and we worked to amplify those resources for students who might not otherwise see them.

Our partners at Florida Atlantic University shared the following:

“Thank you for being thoughtful, strong partners. Our faculty recently did a call to action, and our campus pantry is overflowing. We made calls and emailed students, but clearly we needed to find a way to connect with them where they ‘live.’ You are doing just that! A lot of folks talk big talk, but Motimatic walks the walk.” — Dr. James Capp, Associate Vice President of Florida Atlantic University

Comments like these illustrate the meaningful difference institutions are making. With the right outreach, we can help those efforts connect with more students in a powerful way.

A Shared Commitment to Student Well-Being

As our CEO, James Dressing, shared with partners:

“Together, we can’t solve food inequality, but we can do our part to make sure no student goes without knowing where to turn.”

We’re honored to stand with our partners, and we remain committed to helping every student feel supported throughout their journey.

This initiative reflects our mission as a Public Benefit Company: to act in service of students, communities, and the partners who support them every day.

If your institution offers a food pantry or other student-support programs and would like help connecting students to these resources, we are ready to assist.