Students Collect 6,220 Pounds of Food

University of Illinois Springfield students collected 6,220 pounds of food during the annual Trick-or-Treat for Canned Goods event on Halloween.

A total of 119 students representing eight teams went door to door in Springfield neighborhoods, collecting canned goods and other nonperishable food items to benefit the UIS Cares Food Pantry and Central Illinois Foodbank.

In preparation for the event, students visited approximately 2,165 homes to distribute door hangers explaining the project. On Halloween, the teams returned to their assigned neighborhoods to collect donations, which were then brought back to campus to be weighed and sorted.

The donations will help support students experiencing food insecurity at UIS and families throughout central and southern Illinois. Central Illinois Foodbank distributes food to partner agencies across 21 counties.

Established in 2016, the UIS Cares Food Pantry provides food assistance to students on campus. During the 2025-26 academic year, the pantry served 96 students through 479 visits.

The UIS Cox Children’s Center also contributed to the effort, collecting an additional 393 pounds of food during its annual Trunk-or-Treat for Canned Goods event on Oct. 30. Those donations will also benefit the UIS Cares Food Pantry and Central Illinois Foodbank.

For more information about the initiative, contact the UIS Volunteer Center at 217-206-7716 or volunteer@uis.edu.