{"id":23071,"date":"2022-08-05T18:36:10","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T18:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=23071&post_type=story"},"modified":"2023-02-27T21:06:06","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T21:06:06","slug":"campus-wellness","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/campus-wellness\/","title":{"rendered":"Campus Wellness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re earning a degree<\/a> or you\u2019re\u00a0the parent of a graduate, anyone knows\u00a0having access to support and meaningful\u00a0extracurriculars can make a major\u00a0difference in the college experience.\u00a0During UCF Day of Giving<\/a> 2022, donors\u00a0recognized this by making nearly 780 gifts\u00a0to the Student Success and Well Being\u00a0fund, which funnels resources to areas\u00a0that facilitate engagement opportunities,\u00a0community building, and mental and\u00a0physical wellness.<\/p>\n

For environmental studies grad<\/a>\u00a0Adri-Anna Harris \u201922<\/strong>, the UCF\u00a0Arboretum was a major outlet that\u00a0helped her maintain balance and develop\u00a0skills that benefited her professionally.\u00a0As a first-year student she started\u00a0volunteering in the gardens for the\u00a0Arboretum, which was established to \u00a0allow Knights to learn about the natural\u00a0wonders of campus. By her senior year\u00a0she served as an ambassador for the\u00a0department, assisting with outreach and\u00a0making sure programming ran smoothly.<\/p>\n

\u201c[When you\u2019re studying, working or]\u00a0living on such a busy campus, it\u2019s nice to\u00a0have a space to get a break and just go\u00a0sit in nature, surrounded by plants and\u00a0wildlife.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201c[When you\u2019re studying, working or]\u00a0living on such a busy campus, it\u2019s nice to\u00a0have a space to get a break and just go\u00a0sit in nature, surrounded by plants and\u00a0wildlife,\u201d Harris says. \u201cVolunteering or\u00a0working at the Arboretum also gives you\u00a0a chance to learn valuable skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of those skills include developing\u00a0a commitment to service, working as\u00a0a team and giving back to your peers.\u00a0One of the major ways the Arboretum\u00a0emphasizes this is by growing produce\u00a0for another campus unit dedicated to\u00a0supporting students, the Knights\u00a0Helping Knights Pantry.<\/p>\n

Launched in 2009, Knights Pantry\u00a0provides five free food items a day to\u00a0students in need, as well as toiletries,\u00a0clothing and other necessities. With\u00a0the flagship location on the main\u00a0campus, as well as pantries at other\u00a0UCF campuses, Knights Pantry has\u00a0served thousands of students over\u00a0the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never\u00a0want food to be the reason why a student\u00a0can\u2019t finish their degree.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cStudents who come to UCF are\u00a0intelligent, capable and hardworking, and\u00a0sometimes they just need a little bit of\u00a0help,\u201d says Jeannie Kiriwas \u201905 \u201907MA<\/strong>,\u00a0associate director of Knights Pantry,\u00a0who has worked there since 2015.\u00a0\u201cEating a variety of wholesome foods\u00a0can help students get enough nutrients\u00a0to maintain focus \u2014 that could be the\u00a0difference between students getting a\u00a0C or an A in organic chemistry. We never\u00a0want food to be the reason why a student\u00a0can\u2019t finish their degree.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Knights Pantry accepts\u00a0donations year-round, Day of Giving\u00a0funds \u2014 which amounted to more than\u00a0$13,000 this year \u2014 help supply specialty\u00a0items, such as allergy-friendly products,\u00a0vegan and vegetarian foods, and meats.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Day of Giving gifts] are incredibly\u00a0meaningful to us,\u201d says Kiriwas.\u00a0\u201cDonations for the pantry have stayed\u00a0very strong since it\u2019s opening, but\u00a0need has increased quite a bit. And so\u00a0those financial contributions help us\u00a0supplement what we don\u2019t get enough of.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Arboretum and Knights Pantry\u00a0are two areas that are also supported\u00a0by another UCF Day of Giving cause\u00a0\u2014 the Parent and Family Fund, which\u00a0aids initiatives that foster community\u00a0and well-being and received more than\u00a0$8,000 this year. These include Wellness\u00a0and Health Promotion Services\u2019 annual\u00a0Gather Luncheon, which provides a\u00a0free three-course meal to hundreds of\u00a0students, and FreshU cooking courses\u00a0and mobile kitchen, which offer education\u00a0on nutrition through demonstrations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe university provides so much,\u00a0but we try to think of some of the little\u00a0extras that may just make the difference\u00a0… just\u00a0that touch the parents can bring.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe university provides so much,\u00a0but we try to think of some of the little\u00a0extras that may just make the difference\u00a0in either retention or just the experience\u00a0of fellowship with other students, just\u00a0that touch the parents can bring,\u201d says\u00a0Michelle Engle \u201988<\/strong>, chair of the Parent\u00a0and Family Philanthropy Council and\u00a0a mother of a recent UCF alumna. \u201cWe\u00a0want to make sure the UCF experience\u00a0is the best it can be for all Knights.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":23277,"template":"","categories":[1588],"tags":[1444,1479,1589],"class_list":["post-23071","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-impact","tag-knights-pantry","tag-ucf-arboretum","tag-wellness-and-health-promotion-services","issues-1575","issues-fall-2022"],"yoast_head":"\nUCF Campus Wellness: Supporting Students' Well-Being and Success<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How UCF Day of 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