Campus Security launched its second annual Food for Fines campaign Monday, Nov. 28. They are accepting canned goods and other items as payment for unpaid parking tickets. Students, faculty and staff can drop off donations at the Campus Security office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. any day of the week. Campus Security will continue to accept donations until Friday, Dec. 16.
“It’s a creative way to help out the community and keeps with the College’s mission and values of human dignity, social justice and educating for service,” Director of Campus Security Andrew Powell said.
Ten items will forgive 20 dollars in fines, and 20 items will forgive 50 dollars in fines. If the ticket has been misplaced or lost, Campus Security can use the person’s ID to locate the ticket information and will still accept donations as payment.
“It’s mutually beneficial to the person who received the violation and to those in need,” Powell said. “It’s less than what you would pay for the ticket, but it still collects a lot of food for those in need.”
At the end of Food for Fines, Campus Security will give all donations to the Elizabethtown Community Cupboard, which is located on South Market Street in Elizabethtown. The men’s lacrosse team will help Campus Security deliver the collected items.
“All donations will stay local and benefit local families,” Powell said.
Elizabethtown Community Cupboard currently needs ketchup, mustard, canned chicken, canned/instant potatoes, canned fruit, crackers and pasta sauce. Non-food items such as toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner and deodorant are also needed.
Students, faculty and staff can use these items to waive one or more tickets; there is no limit to the amount of forgiveness. The donations can be applied to any unpaid ticket received from Aug. 12 to Dec. 16.
This policy differs from last year when Campus Security first launched Food for Fines. Last year, eligible tickets were limited to those received during the end of the semester. This year, all unpaid tickets received during the fall semester can be paid for by donations.
During the first Food for Fines, Campus Security collected over 800 items and waived 42 tickets. Powell hopes that by making all unpaid tickets received during the fall semester eligible, they will collect more items this year.
The first Food for Fines was inspired by a press release that Campus Security read in early November of 2015 about a similar program initiated in Lexington, Kentucky. They were impressed with its success and thought the program would benefit Elizabethtown College and the community.
First-year computer engineering major Kyle Praseut wants to participate in Food for Fines to pay off two parking tickets he received this semester. Praseut plans to buy items for Food for Fines and donate cans that he is not using at home.
“I really do appreciate the fact that Elizabethtown is giving students the chance to do something like this, where we can interact with the community more,” Praseut said.
Campus Security is also accepting donations from students, faculty and staff who do not have any unpaid parking tickets. Anyone can donate items to be sent to the Elizabethtown Community Cupboard.
“At the end of the day, it’s a food drive, and so if people don’t have parking tickets but still want to participate, we will be glad to accept their donation as well,” Powell said.
All donations must be non-perishable/non-expired. Campus Security will not accept donations in glass jars or in dented or damaged containers.
For more information about Food for Fines, email Campus Security at security@etown.edu.
