2023 Donations for Citations Drive Breaks Record!

This year’s Donations for Citations drive was the largest ever, netting more than two tons of food and personal care items for UK’s Big Blue Pantry.

UK students and employees donated more than 4,358 pounds of staples, topping last year’s amount by more than 1,300 pounds. In all, 452 people took part in this year’s food drive.

This is the eighth year for the Donations for Citations program, which helps stock Big Blue Pantry’s (BBP) shelves. Since its inception in 2016, nearly 21,500 pounds of food have been collected and delivered to the Pantry.

Donations for Citations enables those UK students and employees who have a parking citation to pay their fee by donating to the Pantry, an on-campus organization that works to combat hunger and food insecurity. This year’s drive began on February 27 and ran through March 10.

“We’re overjoyed (and slightly overwhelmed!) at this record-setting outpouring of generosity from the UK community,” said BBP Manager Andrew Perkins. “Donations for Citations is our biggest event of the year, and we are incredibly thankful for the positive impact it makes for our students who are in need.”

Lance Broeking, Director of UK Transportation Services, said he was pleased to see how the UK community responded. “In fact, our department is making plans to introduce a fall Donations for Citations event, expanding this popular program to twice a year in our ongoing efforts to support the Big Blue Pantry’s mission and support our students who rely on this essential service.”

BBP accepts donations from the campus community year-round. Visit the Pantry’s website for information about hours of operation or to offer donations outside of this program. BBP also has an online gift fund which allows the organization to accept monetary donations that are used to purchase food items. To discuss other ways you can contribute, contact Lance Poston at lance.poston@uky.edu.