Stop Hunger Food Drive launches on October 20th

The annual Stop Hunger Food Drive co-sponsored by University Dining, Sodexo, and UMW Athletics begins on Monday, October 20th and runs through Friday, October 31st. Non-perishable food items collected during the drive will be donated to the Gwen Hale Resource Center and the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank.

University athletes do a tremendous job every year of collecting donations for the Stop Hunger Food Drive. Last year their efforts helped us collect over 6,000 pounds of food, but support from all sectors of the UMW community will be most welcome, and there are many opportunities to make donations.

Collection bins will be located in the lobby of the Cedric Rucker University Center (CRUC) by the Dining Concierge desk, the Eagle’s Nest Market, and the For Five Coffee Roasters Shop from October 20th through the 31st.

In addition, on Wednesday, October 22nd and Friday, October 24th, the Dining team will host a table in the lobby of the CRUC from 9:30am to 2pm where you can purchase value-priced food items. No need to bring in donations from home! You can stop by the table, buy some food items with EagleOne or credit, and then drop them in the donation bin – quick and easy! Your support will be greatly appreciated!

For additional information about the drive contact Rose Benedict, rbenedic@umw.edu or 540-654-2169.

University Dining locations will be closed during Fall Break; see dining’s fall break hours below. If you know of students who need meal assistance over the break, please encourage them to contact Assistant Dean of Students Chris Porter as soon as possible to see if special arrangements can be made; she can be reached at CJPorter@UMW.edu. If you have any questions, please contact University Dining Marketing Manager Rose Benedict at rbenedic@umw.edu for more information.

In the coming weeks the University Dining team will be hosting several special events that offer a variety of delicious culinary experiences along with some fun activities.

You won’t want to miss Talk Like a Pirate Day on Friday, Sept. 19 when you can enjoy some sea-worthy fish & chips served up by some not-so-fierce pirates! Be sure to join in the fun and don’t forget to talk like a pirate, aye! Or ye might be walkin’ the plank!

The annual Harvest Festival on Friday, Sept. 26 boasts over 40 vendors who’ll be selling fresh produce, kettle corn, chicken & waffles, papusas, snow cones, pottery, jewelry, candy, vintage clothing and much more!

In partnership with the Latino Student Association, the Center for International Studies, and Student Activities and Engagement, University Dining will also be hosting the Latino Melting Pot Dinner, the Global Cafe, and a birthday celebration for Sammy D. Eagle!

See more details in the dining schedule of the coming events below. Unless otherwise noted, all events take place in the Restaurants at the Top of the Cedric Rucker University Center.

• Talk Like a Pirate Day with Fish & Chips: Friday, Sept. 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sammy D. Eagle 40th Birthday Celebration: Monday, Sept. 22 there is free cake and photo opportunities with Sammy from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the CRUC 4th floor gathering area,
• Latino Melting Pot Dinner: This celebration dinner on Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. features a wide variety of Hispanic dishes, including birria tacos! Note: The dining room will be closed from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. to prepare for the event.
• National Food Service Worker Day: Thursday, Sept. 25. Send some “Thank You” messages to Dining team members via special THX QR codes that will be located in all the campus dining locations.
• Harvest Festival & Farmers Market:  Friday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Vendors will be on Campus Walk, Ball Circle, and Palmieri Plaza. In the event of rain, the festival will take place in the Chandler Ballroom of the CRUC.
• Global Cafe: Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The dinner will feature cuisines from around the world and offer students opportunities to learn about UMW’s Study Abroad programs. The dining room will be closed from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. to prepare for this event.

If you have any questions, contact Rose Benedict, Dining Marketing Manager, at rbenedic@umw.edu or 540-654-2169.

University Dining is hosting an “Inclusive Excellence Lunch” on Thursday, April 17 as part of the ASPIRE Week Celebrations. Guests will enjoy a variety of cultural cuisines representing countries from around the world, including the extremely popular Mexican Birria Tacos! The menu will also offer German, Ukrainian, French, Indian, Moroccan, and Filippino dishes, along with the Top of the CRUC’s regular Thursday fare – American Chicken Wings and Buffalo Cauliflower.

Lunch service is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The charge for members of UMW’s faculty and staff is $7.40.  EagleOne and credit cards are accepted.  The price for other guests is $15.51.  For additional information, contact Rose Benedict, University Dining Marketing Manager, at rbenedic@umw.edu or call 540-654-2169.

University Dining is seeking feedback about services from students, faculty and staff through a short online survey. You may access the survey here.

The dining team uses the survey responses to help determine future enhancements to the dining program. Responses to the survey are confidential. Your contact information will not be shared with outside sources, nor will it be used to solicit purchases.

However, if you choose to enter the drawing to win a $100 VISA gift card, you will need to provide your name and e-mail address so you can be contacted in the event you are the prize winner.  The survey is open through March 28th.

You may access the survey here.

If you have questions about the survey, contact Rose Benedict, Dining Marketing Manager, at rbenedic@umw.edu.

As part of their Women’s History and National Nutrition Month programming, University Dining will be hosting a free “Lunch & Learn” event on Tuesday, Mar. 18 featuring local culinary talent Joy Crump, Executive Chef and co-owner of Fredericksburg’s Foode+Mercantile restaurants.

The event will take place on Tuesday, Mar. 18 at the Top of the CRUC from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. There is no charge to participate, but it is limited to the first 40 students, faculty and staff who make reservations.  To sign up for the event, e-mail Marketing Manager Rose Benedict, rbenedic@umw.edu or fill out the reservation form on Google forms.

Joy appeared on Season 12 of Bravo’s Emmy-winning show “Top Chef”, and she was named a 2023 James Beard Semi-Finalist, Best Chef Mid-Atlantic. The Dining team is very excited to have someone of her stature share her knowledge and talents with our campus community.

Joy apprenticed under Atlanta-based farm-to-table industry pioneer Chef Michael Tuohy, and she brings that commitment to using fresh, local ingredients to all of her culinary endeavors.  At her “Lunch & Learn” event, Chef Joy will be demonstrating how to create a power bowl meal that is quick, delicious, nutritious, and made with simple, fresh, local, affordable ingredients. Chef Joy will talk about why foods like this make sense for people who are active, busy, short on time, on the move, have limited resources, etc.  Once participants learn how to make this power bowl, they’ll be able to interchange the ingredients for an almost infinite number of other possibilities.   

University Dining will host it’s annual Health & Wellness Fair on Wednesday, Mar. 12 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Chandler Ballroom and second floor lobby of the Cedric Rucker University Center.  The fair will include exhibitors and vendors that provide products or services that promote physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellness.

Participants include health care providers, massage therapists, fitness trainers, a martial arts center, a holistic healing station, spas, addiction support groups, an apothecary, assisted living locators, an Elysian float spa, campus recreation, and many others. Those who attend the fair may get free blood pressure checks, free neck massages, lots of free samples, and opportunities to win a variety of door prizes, including a $100 VISA gift card.

The fair is free and open to everyone in the campus and Fredericksburg communities. To see a complete list of all the fair exhibitors, visit University Dining’s website, or e-mail Dining@UMW.edu for details.