Senior Dinner raises $2,300 for fight against food insecurity

The Class of 2016 has raised $2,300 for the FEED Foundation through online credit card and cash donations at its Senior Dinner on Friday.

All donations from the night will be used to provide meals through FEED to fight food insecurity, both domestically and abroad, class treasurer Richard Lu ’16said.

According to Lu, the event was sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students and the 2016 Class Government. Seniors did not have to pay and the sponsors paid $10 per person.

The 2016 Class Government hoped to raise $2,016 for the FEED Foundation this year, according to emails sent out to seniors regarding the event. But as the previous class of seniors were able to raise over $3,500, the class government encouraged seniors in emails to surpass that benchmark.

The issue of world hunger is not only on the decline but remains solvable, FEED Projects co-founder Lauren Bush Lauren ’06 told seniors at the Senior Dinner.

“[Although] it’s this massive, overwhelming world issue, we can solve it, we know how to solve it and all of you — by being here tonight because of the awesome Class of 2016 — you are part of that solution,” she said.

Lauren is the niece of former President George W. Bush and is married to David Lauren, son of designer Ralph Lauren. Her company sells handmade bags and accessories, donating a portion of the sales to organizations that provide meals to children around the world. She established FEED the year after she graduated with a degree in anthropology.

The now-annual dinner event, organized by the 2016 Class Government, offered free food and wine to seniors while inviting them to donate to FEED.

In a brief speech to the Class of 2016, Lauren recounted the story of FEED’s founding, which all began in her final year at the University. After traveling around the world as a United Nations World Food Programme Honorary Spokesperson and witnessing the realities of poverty and hunger, Lauren explained she first felt overwhelmed by the immensity of the problem.

“I found it very hard, being a senior in college and after being exposed to these issues," she said. "What could I do? How could I translate this in a way that is tangible and meaningful and allows people to really engage and feel they can make a difference?”

FEED was soon born out of that frustration, Lauren said. Starting with the simple idea of a burlap bag, FEED is committed to feeding one child in school for a year with every product sold. Each bag is printed with a number signifying the number of meals or micronutrients provided with its purchase, the organization’s website reads.

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FEED Supper is a 30-day movement inviting communities to raise awareness about world hunger through a meal event, Lauren explained. The University community participated in FEED Supper's inaugural year with the 2015 Senior Dinner, and continued the tradition with Friday’s event.

“I am truly blown away — this is a FEED supper dream come true,” Lauren remarked.

Lauren later expressed thanks for the University’s level of engagement, commending the Class of 2016, Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne and others for their active participation.

“I am very proud, as a Tiger, to see the Princeton community come together in such a way, around an issue that is very close to my heart,” she said.

The event took place in McCosh courtyard at 5 p.m.