To show thanks for patrons and their campus community during the month of November, Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) campus recreation partners with The Colonel’s Cupboard to combat food insecurity for students.
The Colonel’s Cupboard is an organization on campus that helps to contribute to student success by assisting those who may be experiencing food insecurity. Additionally, The Colonel’s Cupboard offers clothing and toiletry items as well.
“We offer various free breakfast items to our patrons throughout the year, but more importantly, we continue to maintain our partnership with The Colonel’s Cupboard,” said Tommy Willis, the associate director of campus recreation at EKU. “During the month of November, we offer our patrons the opportunity to renew memberships at discounted prices if they bring in canned goods to support those students that may suffer from food insecurity.”
Not only does this partnership allow campus rec to provide a positive service to the community, but it also helps to increase membership through the option of discounts via the food drive. “Patrons love free stuff, but even more so they love saving money,” emphasized Willis.
This is why EKU also offers a number of complimentary items such as healthy snacks and coffee, in addition to discounted memberships for those who participate in the food drive during the month of November.
While free items and incentives, such as food drives, are always helpful to increase retention and patron memberships, Willis elaborated the best way to show thanks to patrons on a daily basis is to continue to serve them with the highest quality of customer service possible. “If we can help those in need by providing canned foods while showing appreciation for our patrons, it’s a win-win,” he said.
