Public Service
Little Matey’s Hideout
The Little Matey’s Hideout, located in ECU’s main campus student center, provides a dedicated and welcoming space for parenting students to care for their children while remaining engaged in campus life. The Dean of Students Office collaborated with the College of Education and Student Centers, in bringing this initiative to life, recognizing that supporting the unique needs of parenting students is an important part of fostering an inclusive and accessible university experience.
Fresh Express
Fresh Express
The Fresh Express is a collaborative wellness initiative between CRW’s Well-Being Unit, and the Adventure Leadership program designed to promote local engagement and nutrition education through weekly trips to the local Farmer’s Market. Participants have the opportunity to shop locally, explore fresh food options, and learn practical nutrition tips in an interactive environment.
Learn MoreNC Treasurer Briner
Financial Wellness partnered with the College of Business to invite NC Treasurer Briner to campus and expose students more broadly across the College of Business to career paths within the state. Additionally, Financial Wellness increased their individual financial coaching appointments by over 10% and saw significant engagement with their social media content.
Purple Pantry Collaborations
Campus Partnership Combines Service, Education, and Student Support
One of the greatest accomplishments this academic year for ECU Dining Services was the impactful collaboration with the Williams-Ross Purple Pantry, which focused on addressing food insecurity while promoting student engagement and education.
Throughout the year, Dining Services integrated service and programming in meaningful ways, starting with their Friendsgiving event, where they collected canned goods for donation. They also hosted free live cooking demonstrations and hands-on classes that taught students how to create simple, nutritious meals using ingredients commonly available through the Purple Pantry. To close out the semester, Dining Services organized a campus-wide canned food drive that encouraged students to use their remaining Purple and Gold Bucks to purchase non-perishable items for donation.
Through these combined efforts, over 100 pounds of food was donated to the Pantry while increasing awareness of campus food insecurity, accessibility, and practical skills among students. This initiative not only strengthened campus collaboration but also made a tangible difference in supporting the community.
Food for Fines: Supporting Students and Fighting Food Insecurity
The Student Government Association (SGA), Williams-Ross Purple Pantry (CLCE), and Parking and Transportation continued their Food for Fines initiative to support the Williams-Ross Purple Pantry and address food insecurity on campus.
Through this program, individuals could fully offset parking citations by donating non-perishable food and hygiene items. Each donated item was valued at $5 towards a citation. For example, a citation worth $35 may be paid using 7 items.
During the Fall campaign, the initiative collected over 800 pounds of food, equivalent to 120 citations and more than $5,000 in waived citation fines. In the Spring, the initiative collected almost 800 pounds with over $4,000 in waived citation fines. This effort not only met student needs but also strengthened our campus community and promoted well-being for all.
