Chartwells donates 200 swipes to Washburn for students in need.

Washburn dining contracts through Chartwells provide food services on campus. The donation of 200 swipes was made after students requested to donate their unused Bod swipes to other students in need. Chartwells decided to donate their own Bod swipes to Washburn. The free bod swipes are open to the entire Washburn student community. The only requirement is a Washburn ID.

“Chartwells is giving Washburn 20 vouchers per semester. One Bod can have one voucher per month,” said Emma Staats, Bods feeding Bods staff coordinator.

According to Chartwells Contract Liaison Janel Rutherford, one voucher equals five free meals per month. After each month that student can receive another voucher equaling five free meals.

“Chartwells signed a contract that agreed on free Bod swipes for the next ten years,” said Annie Cygan, volunteer coordinator of Bods feeding Bods.

Senior history major Brie Bradshaw commented on the importance of food on campus and the issue of student homelessness. Bradshaw also mentioned how freshmen are now expected to live on campus and the reasons behind that. 

“I think it’s important because… student homelessness is definitely an issue. It’s a problem that’s going to be faced for a good portion of the rest of the 10-year colleges until we can get that under control. That just comes with lowering tuition prices, allowing more aid, and more funding for universities in order to get those students that are at risk in housing. I think since Washburn does now require first years live in, all freshman students have to live on campus. I think that it’s a way to alleviate, but there are other reasons behind that. It safeguards what we have with emergency grants, the food pantry, the clothing pantry and other resources we have throughout Topeka that work in partnership with us that are really important to taking care of that problem,” said Bradshaw.

Bods feeding Bods is open Monday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Kuehne Hall.

Edited by Adam White, Shelby Hanson, Jason Morrison, Jessica Galvin