January 3, 2023
UWCFD donor wins $2,000 to donate to charity
UWCFD donor Andrew Krueger, left, with UW Food Pantry student director Alex Silver.
Last November, the Washington State Combined Fund Drive hosted the “Give 2 in ’22” charity sweepstakes, sponsored by Twinstar Credit Union, during the fall workplace giving campaign.
Open to any state employee or retiree who started a recurring payroll deduction of $2 or more per month, or increased a current deduction by $2 per month, the grand prize was $2,000 to donate to a CFD-member charity of the winner’s choice.Ā
UW’s own Andrew Krueger, senior director of alumni and media relations at the Foster School of Business, was the grand prize winner.
His charity of choice? The UW Food Pantry.
“I chose the Husky Food Pantry for a couple of reasons,” Andrew explained. “First, I wasnāt aware of the number of students who face food insecurity until I read that nearly 20% of UW students responding to a survey said they find themselves āsometimesā or āoftenā without food.”
“I can only imagine how difficult it is to perform well in classes when you donāt have enough to eat,” Andrew continued. “I didnāt make it through college, so anything I can do to help someone else achieve that goal makes me happy.”
A nationwide shift in college student demographics is seeing greater numbers of low-income students enrolling at UW’s three campuses in recent years. Coupled with systemic economic issues like the lack of affordable student housing and the high costs of living in the region, one result has been increased food insecurity among UW students.
The USDA defines food insecurity as the reduced quality, variety and desirability in a personās diet, sometimes alongside lower food intake.
State CFD staff receive the honorary $2000 check from Twinstar Credit Union
Partnering with Housing and Food Services, the UW Farm, and other local community organizations, the student-run UW Food Pantry provides food to students, staff and faculty experiencing food insecurity. The UW Food Pantry values providing hunger relief in a stigma-free environment that emphasizes sustainability and cultural diversity.
Watch: UW Food Pantry Introduction (YouTube)
“The second reason I chose to support the Husky Pantry,” Andrew continued, “is that my family believes in giving to organizations within our community, and Iāve been fortunate to be a part of the UW community for 14 years.”
Like many UW employees who give through payroll deduction, Andrew appreciates the ease of managing his UWCFD donations online using his protected UW NetID, having dedicated UW staff supporting workplace giving, and receiving an annual giving summary as part of his W-2.
He has been a UWCFD donor for five years, but “I wish I had signed up sooner,” he said.
“Workplace giving through the UWCFD has also served as a great way to introduce the concept of philanthropy to my daughter. We sit down a couple of times a year to review our giving and talk about the needs in our community as well as the things we are passionate about.”
You can support the UW Food Pantry (charity code 1482050), the UW Bothell Food Pantry (charity code 1483077), the UW Tacoma Food Pantry (charity code 1482576) and many other hunger-alleviation organizations through a one-time or recurring payroll deduction through the UWCFD. Questions? Email uwcfd@uw.edu.
