Brea White
A sustainable night market was one of many events sponsored by the "Swipe It Forward" initiative.
After a year of research, organization and collaboration, the “Swipe It Forward” initiative arrived at Lafayette College to battle food insecurity, one meal swipe at a time.
“It’s both used as an opportunity to literally donate physical meals, but it’s also meant to be an opportunity for students to really engage and learn about other programs that exist on campus that focus on this issue year-round,” said Addison Moore ’27, the founder and manager of the program.
Samantha Comas, the sustainability outreach and engagement manager, described Swipe It Forward as a program in which students donate their meal swipes by exchanging them for non-meal goods and entrance to a variety of events held last week.
At the end of the month, the collected meal swipes will be translated into food for the Easton community.
The events included a sustainable night market — where students could swap swipes for items like LaFarm-grown salsa and thrifted tees — and a “Battle of the Bands” held in Lower Farinon on Saturday, an event accessible by donation of a swipe where student bands competed in live music.
Several students who attended Swipe It Forward events said they felt the initiative was a positive move for campus sustainability.
“I really like that they sold stuff from LaFarm with meal swipes,” said Hannah Verbeke ’28, who visited the sustainable night market and exchanged three meal swipes for a mug and some Lafayette gear.
Zachary Marshall ’28, who attended Battle of the Bands, said he believed Swipe it Forward fostered community on campus.
“Donating these meal swipes is very helpful, but it also brings us together as a school, as a society,” Marshall said. “Everyone plays their role, whether it’s putting on a show for some people or donating a meal swipe. Everyone’s contributing, it’s a really good environment.”
The actual packing of the food will take place on March 29, where volunteers will help to pack the meals that Parkhurst Dining will be working overtime to make, according to Moore. The meals will then be transported down the hill to the ProJeCt of Easton, a local social services organization, which will redistribute the meals to local food pantries.
Moore said he has been interested in giving back to his community since he was young.
“I have been interested in food insecurity for a really long time,” Moore said. “It’s been a passion of mine for the better part of almost 10 years now.”
In 2021, Moore founded Up Next Teens, a nonprofit focused on teen entrepreneurship and activism that has largely battled food insecurity.
Upon arriving on campus last year, Moore said he noticed food waste due to his peers’ unused meal swipes and began developing a plan to do something about it.
“Every single week, this huge meal swipe package that I paid for, all these meal swipes just go gone,” he said.
According to Rita Chesterton, the director of the Dyer Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Swipe It Forward was the combined effort of the local community and a multitude of campus organizations.
“Food insecurity is an issue that we need to deal with,” Chesterton said. “I think it’s wonderful that he’s creating these ties between Lafayette and the community of Easton and I also think it’s a great opportunity.”
The initiative was co-sponsored by the Office of Sustainability and the President’s Office.
“I think this event is really a cool mix between economics, finding a need and being innovative and environmental justice and food insecurity on campus,” Comas said. “It brings together both the thinking of how do the processes work here, and how can we make them better and how can we serve a greater good.”