When COVID hit in March 2020, we saw millions of tons of milk, potatoes, onions, and other food being wasted due to the sudden supply chain disruption. At the same time, food insecurity rates began to skyrocket as people were being laid off. Four members in our student organization started exploring ways we could stop this or make a difference, but soon realized the magnitude of the problem. We decided, we have the ability to spread awareness about food waste and we could simultaneously raise money for those affected by the pandemic through social media.

We started a “Back of the Cabinet Challenge” on our social media platforms and linked it to a fundraiser to benefit United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP). A club member kicked off the program by challenging 3 friends to find forgotten food in their cabinets, repurpose it into something delicious and continue the challenge by nominating 3 more people on social media. 20 people participated in the #BackoftheCabinet challenge, which enabled us to reach over 2,500 people through our Facebook fundraiser.

The challenge helped us spread the word about the importance of utilizing all the food we have, to help support those who had difficulty accessing food due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most importantly, the #BackoftheCabinetChallenge helped us raise $465 for WFP through Facebook, Instagram, and Mighty Cause. This money provided 6 families with a UN WFP emergency box, which feeds them for an entire month.