Addressing poverty requires attention to both immediate needs and underlying causes, and UConn's efforts span both. Through a range of campus and community-facing initiatives, the University makes strides to reduce financial insecurity, expand access to essential goods and services, and connect individuals with necessary support. These efforts reflect a broad institutional commitment to the well-being of students, families, and communities across Connecticut.

Featured Efforts

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Husky Harvest

Husky Harvest Food Pantries, located on each UConn campus, connect the campus community with food resources to address food insecurity at UConn. The pantries are accessible to anyone with a UConn ID and provide non-perishable food items, toiletries, and more. Husky Harvest is donation-based, receiving items from individual donors, local food banks, and local grocery stores.

 

About Husky Harvest

UConn students browse through the Thrift Den in the Family Studies Building on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

UConn Thrift Den

The Thrift Den is a circular initiative on campus designed to be an accessible, welcoming place for students to engage in sustainable fashion. All clothing donations come from the UConn community, primarily through donation bins located in residential areas. Members of the UConn community can then “shop” for one free item per week. To help extend the life of clothing items, the Thrift Den also hosts sewing workshops and sewing hours to give students the skills and resources to steward their clothing.

 

About the Thrift Den

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Project Hope

Project Hope is a not-for-profit agency ‘dedicated to the short and long-term survival of adults experiencing homelessness’ in the community. Student volunteers assist with various tasks, including connecting with guests, facilitating social activities, and other basic shelter operations; visit the UConntact page for more information on getting involved as a student.

About Project Hope

Recent Articles

Recent Articles

Click the boxes below to learn more about UConn's contributions to each of the SDGs.