• One day, over 320 campuses: United Through Food rallies students and dining teams nationwide on October 21
• Interactive campus events, giveback activations and upcycled menus help students support peers and local food security efforts close to home
• United Through Food turns everyday dining into year-round action around food security, food waste and community support

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Chartwells Higher Education will bring together more than 320 campuses on October 21, 2026, for a nationwide day of action through its United Through Food initiative. From coast to coast, Chartwells dining teams, students, and campus partners will host awareness events and giveback activations that engage campus communities and support a collective goal of donating 50,000 meals nationwide.

United Through Food is a yearlong platform that turns everyday dining into opportunities for students to support one another. Built around three campaign moments throughout the year, the initiative helps campuses address food security, reduce food waste and create simple ways for students to get involved. According to the 2026 Campus Dining Index (CDI), 56% of students experience challenges accessing food, underscoring the need for campus communities to be part of the solution.

“College communities are at their best when students look out for one another,” said Eva Wojtalewski, CEO of Chartwells Higher Education. “United Through Food brings that spirit to life by making it easy for students, dining teams and campus partners to take action together. Together we can help raise awareness, generate meaningful support and remind students that they are a part of a community that cares for them.”

Throughout the day, campuses will hold engaging, interactive events that connect food, learning and community support. Key elements of the October 21 Day of Awareness include:

• Giveback Activations: Select campuses will host hands-on donation events to support food security in the community, such as Make 1 Donate 1 meal kit assembly stations, Swipe and Share meal plan donations, Can-struction food-building challenges and 1 LB for 1 Follower social media engagement drives.
• Awareness and Education Installations: Interactive educational stations will help students better understand food waste and food insecurity through Photo Pledge Walls, Food for Thought trivia and Empty Plate art installations that bring statistics to life.
• Climate-Friendly Culinary Takeovers: Celebratory lunches and dinners will show how sustainability can be delicious, creative, and impactful. Featured menus may include house-made sweet potato hummus with fall root vegetable chips, tamales and tostadas with imperfect veggie salsa roja, root-to-stem soups made from ingredients often overlooked, and global spice bowls highlighting regenerative agriculture crops. Students can also enjoy sweets like chocolate chip cookies made with upcycled coffee, ripe banana bread, and pumpkin spice energy bites.

The October 21 event builds on United Through Food‘s back-to-campus food drives and spring waste-reduction events for Stop Food Waste Day, creating a year-round platform for Chartwells dining teams and students to support their local communities through food.

For more information on how Chartwells Higher Education supports food security with United Through Food, visit https://chartwellshighered.com/.

About Chartwells Higher Education

Chartwells is the recognized leader in contract foodservice management, hospitality, and guest service at more than 320 colleges and universities across the United States. Chartwells delivers “Dining, Made Personal” through quality, craveable food and dining programs tailored to each campus and designed around real student life. With signature service and meaningful connections, Chartwells partners with institutions to co-create campus experiences that make students and guests feel seen and welcomed.

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SOURCE Chartwells Higher Education