The University of Mississippi’s Grove Grocery is competing with Mississippi State University to raise donations for their respective food pantries throughout the month of November for the second annual Egg Bowl Food Fight.
The competition kicked off on Nov. 1 and will continue until Nov. 21, during which time Grove Grocery is requesting donations of canned goods, personal hygiene products, meal swipes and monetary gifts from students, faculty, alumni and community members.
Grove Grocery is accepting donations at drop-off sites in Grove Grocery, the IFC Office and the Student Alumni Center, as well as through a GoFundMe.
According to a press release from Grove Grocery, data from a 2023 Campus Health Survey by the EAT Research Lab indicates that nearly 31% of UM students meet the USDA criteria for being food insecure. Senior psychology major and 2025 Homecoming Queen Adya Praveen, the internal director for Grove Grocery, cited this statistic as one that needs to change and a primary reason for the competition.
“Grove Grocery serves to expand food security throughout campus and the greater Oxford-Lafayette community,” Praveen said. “Our pantry is student-run and largely dependent on donations from the community to keep our facilities running. The goal of this project is to simply create an outlet for students and community members alike to come together to join our fight against hunger.”
Amid SNAP delays stemming from the recent federal government shutdown, Grove Grocery has maintained its goal of ensuring that nutritious food is accessible to those in need. In addition to installing a new refrigerator stocked with grab-and-go meals in the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union, Praveen said that Grove Grocery has expanded its community reach this year.
“At a time where so many members of our community are left vulnerable, it is especially important for us to meet them where they are,” Praveen said. “We have consistently worked to make sure that our pantry shelves remain stocked by seeking new community partners and donation sources throughout the past two months.”
Cameron Cummings, the Student Association president at MSU, said that his campus is also doing its best to collect donations and foster community engagement.
“On campus we are trying to make it almost impossible to miss the Food Fight,” Cummings said. “The Student Association is partnering with our campus pantry, alumni, housing, Greek life and student organizations to spread the word. We are setting up collection points in high-traffic spots so students can drop off cans on the way to class or practice.”
Cummings shared what Mississippi State hopes to achieve with the Food Fight.
“Our goal is simple,” Cummings said. “We want to beat Ole Miss, but more importantly we want to beat hunger in our own backyard. Through this competition we are focused on filling the shelves of our campus pantry and supporting our community partners so that no student has to choose between studying and eating. We are using our rivalry as fuel to be a positive force for all students.”
According to Praveen, Grove Grocery raised approximately $6,500 worth of donations during last year’s Egg Bowl Food Fight. Together with Mississippi State, they raised a total of $27,000. Praveen has seen similar success so far with this year’s competition.
“Oxford has shown up and shown out,” Praveen said. “Through tabling on the Union Plaza, we have gotten to meet so many students who are interested in joining our cause. Every day, students are bringing in donations to our pantry.”
