San Diego State University’s 2024 Aztecs Rock Hunger campaign achieved its goal of attaining $1 million in lifetime donations, announcing a grand total of $1,019,978 since 2010 during the Aztecs Rock Hunger Reveal event on Dec. 4 at the Lee & Frank Goldberg Courtyard of Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union.
“A million is a massive number if you really think about it,” said Aztecs Rock Hunger Chair Vincent Lin. “I could not have accomplished this important milestone without my predecessors who have put in years of incredible effort toward fighting food insecurity. It is crucial that students have the means to succeed before even walking into the classroom, and that starts with basic needs.”
Between Oct. 4 and Oct. 27, the university-wide campaign, organized by Associated Students, collected donations to address food and nutrition insecurity within the SDSU and greater San Diego community. All proceeds support the SDSU Economic Crisis Response Team, A.S. Food Pantry and the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank where a $1 donation to ARH provided two meals to those in need.
As the cost of living continues to rise, addressing food and nutrition insecurity is more critical than ever, emphasized with 1 in 4 adults in San Diego County being nutrition insecure. Over the past year, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank served an average of 400,000 San Diegans per month and distributed 50 million pounds of food and supplies last year.
“We created this partnership in 2010 [between The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and SDSU] to address student hunger,” said Casey Castillo, CEO of the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. “I love that we're able to involve the whole campus. This campaign not only supports those on campus but also educates the public about hunger-related issues. So we just want to see it keep growing.”
The funds raised during the campaign will also benefit the A.S. Food Pantry, which offers free, fresh, and nutritious food to SDSU students three times a week. During the 2023-24 academic year, the pantry distributed over 130,000 pounds of food to students in need. In addition to supporting the A.S. Food Pantry, 20% of donations raised from the Aztecs Rock Hunger campaign will go to the SDSU Economic Crisis Response Team (ECRT), which assists students facing food, housing or financial emergencies that affect their well-being and academic success. During the 2023-24 academic year, ECRT provided $55,000 in emergency food assistance to students and provided support to over 1,700 individual students.
“Beyond our campus, the overall nutrition insecurity rate in San Diego County has risen to 25%,” said SDSU President Adela de la Torre. “As you look around this beautiful city, it’s shocking to think that one out of every four people struggles to provide three nutritious meals a day for themselves or their families. That’s why I am so proud to see Associated Students and our SDSU community step up and face this challenge head-on.”
“I really commend everyone who has participated or donated in Aztecs Rock Hunger,” Lin said. “Everyone deserves access to basic needs, and no one should wonder where their next meal will come from. I am proud that we continue to unite as a university and San Diego community to help fight against food and nutrition insecurity.”
