Donations to food pantry count toward parking fees

Parking Services is partnering with Replenish — Grand Valley's food pantry — to host Food 4 Fines, a program that allows people to donate items to the pantry toward payment for parking citations.

The program runs through October 6, and donations are being accepted at the Grand Valley Police Department on the Allendale Campus. Citations issued after August 16 are applicable to the program. 

Replenish was founded in 2009 by two Grand Valley alumnae. It started as two small bins in a file cabinet and grew to its current location in room 0074 of the Kirkhof Center. The pantry, which now resembles a small convenience store, provides food and personal care items for students who face financial struggles that affect their food access. There have been more than 1,000 visits to the pantry since it opened. 

Several events are taking place in October to support Replenish. A 5K walk organized by Wesley Fellowship will take place October 30 and a campus-wide food drive is planned for October 10-14. Healthy food items needed include brown rice, oats, quinoa, dried beans, nuts and more. 

For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/replenish.