Donations for Citations Drive Brings in 2,000 Pounds of Support

  • by Hayley S Morris

Transportation Services and The ASUCD Pantry wrapped up a successful second year of Donations for Citations, a unique program that allows participants to donate food and essential items in lieu of paying eligible parking citations. 

An overhead shot of one basket and two bags of donations, including canned foods, hygiene items, and other non perishables.
Community members donated a range of food and hygiene items.

Held Nov. 12–21, this year’s drive brought in approximately 2,000 pounds of donations as well as dozens of volunteer hours from community members who chose to donate their time instead of paying a citation.

Pantry Director Andie Tarabzooni said the continued collaboration highlights what makes the program so meaningful. “The Pantry’s second annual collaboration with Transportation Services was incredibly successful. Our partnership gives the community the unique opportunity to simultaneously waive a citation and aid students.”

The Pantry expanded its eligible donation categories this year to include cooking essentials — an addition that revealed important insights into student needs. “Seeing the demand for those items really helped conceptualize what students want and need for our future inventory,” Tarabzooni explained.

She added that the timing of the drive made the impact even more significant. “A lot of things felt uncertain, so having such a wide variety of donations, whether it be food or hygiene items, undoubtedly helped us support the students who rely on The Pantry for their essential needs.”

With thousands of pounds of donated goods and strong community participation, Donations for Citations continues to be one of Transportation Services and The Pantry’s most impactful efforts to support Aggies facing food and resource insecurity.