Husky Harvest Updates/Wish List

March 21, 2024 Pop Up Pantry
South Campus – Rome Commons Ballroom (above South Dining Hall)
10am-1:30pm
Pantry will close earlier if supplies run out.
Bags are available but in limited supply. Please bring one if you can.
Open to anyone with a UConn ID.
Please bring your ID and have it ready at check-in.
Plan accordingly, there may be lines.


MARCH 2024 DONATION DRIVE: TOILETRIES

Toilet paper, tissues, deodorant, menstrual care products, razors, soap/shower gel/bodywash,
dental items (toothpaste, floss, toothbrushes), baby diapers and wipes


Why donation drives? Donation drives allow us to manage the intake of donations (especially if there are any food recalls) and provide frequently requested items that we cannot get from our food banks/local organizations that supply the pantry.

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS

Please do not drop off at the pantry. Donation drive items can only be accepted at the following locations.

  • UConn Dining Commissary: 30 Gurleyville Rd, Storrs (M-F; 6am-4pm)
  • UConn Dining Main Office: Towers Residence Halls – Wade Building, 3384 Towers Loop Rd, Storrs
    (M-F; 8am-5pm)

If you ran a donation drive for the items above with your club/org/office and have a large number of items, please reach out via the contact form below to coordinate a pick-up with Dining.


Reusable Grocery Bags The pantry is always in need of reusable grocery bags. Please consider donating new or gently used (stain-free) bags during our October and November collection drives.

Monetary DonationsIf you would like to support the Storrs Husky Harvest food pantry with a monetary donation, please visit the UConn Foundation page at www.foundation.uconn.edu/fund/uconn-storrs-campus-food-insecurity-fund

Volunteers At this time volunteers are not needed. Please consider donating from the wish list above or running your own drive with your club/org/office for the items above.


Questions – please use our contact form at dining.uconn.edu/questions-and-comments

Help spread the word on the Storrs campus: post this flyer for the Spring ’24 semester.

More information on the UConn food pantries can be found at huskyharvest.uconn.edu

Husky Harvest (Storrs) Updates: Follow UConn Dining on Facebook, Instagram, X.

Spring Break Information

As Spring Break approaches please be aware that dining hall hours will be modified on Friday, March 8th, and Sunday, March 17th. Additionally, some retail locations may have modified hours starting March 8th. All meal plans temporarily shut down for break after dinner on March 8th and resume on the 17th. Full details at the link below.

Saturday, March 9th – Saturday, March 16th. If you currently have an Ultimate, Value, or Custom Meal Plan, and you choose to remain on campus during Spring Break, you may sign up in advance for meals at McMahon. There is no cost to these meals. Find additional info and sign up form at the link below.

Full details at dining.uconn.edu/spring-break

Ramadan & Passover Information

RAMADAN 2024 – Beginning March 10th all students with a residential meal plan observing Ramadan will have access to a hot dinner buffet along with a variety of breakfast items.

Visit dining.uconn.edu/ramadan for more information and meal sign-up.


PASSOVER 2024NOSH Kosher Kitchen in Gelfenbien Dining Commons and UConn Hillel House will be serving Passover meals from Monday, April 22nd – Tuesday, April 30th by reservation only.

Visit dining.uconn.edu/passover-meals for more information and meal sign-up.

Spring Semester Opening Weekend Hours

Dining Halls: First Meals of the Semester

Saturday, January 13th

McMahon open

  • Breakfast: 7am-9:30am
  • Brunch: 10:30am-2:15pm
  • Dinner: 4:15-7:15pm

Northwest, Gelfenbien, and Putnam open

  • Brunch: 10:30am-2:15pm
  • Dinner: 4:15-7:15pm

Sunday, January 14th – All dining halls except Buckley open normal hours. Northwest & McMahon open for Late night – serving until 10pm

Monday, January 15th  (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) – All dining halls open normal hours.


Retail Locations

Please refer to our retail hours site. Many locations are closed for Monday, Jan 15th (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)

Bookworms Cafe in the library will have modified hours for the first few days of the semester. The cafe will be closing at 8pm Tues, Jan 16th-Thursday, Jan 18th. Normal hours begin Jan. 19th.


Change Your Meal Plan

If you need to upgrade or downgrade your meal plan for the spring semester you have until Friday, Feb 2 to do so. Please use our online change plan form.

Change Your Plan

Dining to Host 23rd Annual Culinary Competition

 

The Department of Dining Services will hold its annual Culinary Olympics on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. The event will take place at the Rome Commons Ballroom (Rome Building, South Campus) located on the University of Connecticut, Storrs Campus. This annual event shows off the skills of UConn Dining chefs in an individual recipe competition in the morning and then in a team-based “Chopped” style competition in the afternoon. The event is free and open to the public.

The morning event, Recipe Contest judging, is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:00am on Tuesday. Recipes are prepared on-site by UConn Dining chefs for 12 portions and must fall into one of the following categories:  Appetizer, Entrée, or Dessert. Recipes will then be judged on the following criteria: Creativity of Dish/Cooking Techniques/Use of Ingredients/Taste and Texture.

From 10:30am-1:30 pm the UConn Bakery will have displays of their creative work as well as demos on the art of decorating. Stop by and chat with our professional pastry chefs and bakers.

The afternoon event, “Boiling Point,” is scheduled to begin at approximately 12:30pm. This is our version of the “Chopped” competition that will involve teams of three chefs representing the different dining facilities within the department. Each team will be presented with a mystery box of ingredients, and using miscellaneous items from our pantry, prepare three different tapas (small food or appetizer) on each plate. Teams will have 75 minutes to prepare their dishes for three judges. Teams will then be scored on the following criteria: Creativity of dish / Cooking Techniques / Use of Ingredients / Taste and Textures. Teams are not allowed to bring ingredients or use ingredients that are not supplied by the competition. The setup for Boiling Point allows guests to get up close to the teams to watch as they strategize, prep, and get creative with their mystery ingredients.

An award presentation will immediately follow the Boiling Point competition.

Location Address: Rome Building, 855 Bolton Road, Storrs, CT – easiest access to the event and parking is to enter campus via Bolton Rd

Parking Info: Closest public parking to the event is South Garage park.uconn.edu/visitors/storrs | Campus Map of Parking & Event Location

Pedestrian Path to the Event: After parking at the garage, proceed down Hillside to Bolton and enter into South campus near the Graduate Hotel

Press/Event Contact: Robert Landolphi, Assistant Director Culinary Development-Robert.Landolphi@uconn.edu

More details at: dining.uconn.edu/culinary-olympics

Finals Week & Winter Break Dining Info

FINALS WEEK 2023

RETAIL HOURS: Finals week hours can be found here.

HUSKY HARVEST FOOD PANTRY (Storrs) – open normal hours for 12/11 & 12/14, 11am-4pm. (Important Note about Spring Semester – Husky Harvest will be changing to Tuesday/Thursdays from 11am-4pm)

DINING HALLS

  • All dining halls will operate normal hours through Friday, Dec. 15th.
  • Saturday, December 16th

South, McMahon & Northwest Open
Hot Breakfast: 7am-10am
Cold Breakfast: 10am-10:30am
Brunch: 10:30am-2:15pm
Dinner: 4:15pm-7:15pm

  • Sunday, December 17th 
    Service only at McMahon (same hours as Saturday, December 16th).
  • Dining Hall info for holidays and breaks can always be found at the start of the semester on our hours page in a section called “Dining Halls: Holidays & Breaks”
  • Fall semester meal plans end after dinner on Sunday, December 17th

WINTER BREAK

  • RETAIL HOURS during winter break, 12/18-1/15, are available here.
  • HUSKY HARVEST FOOD PANTRY (Storrs) – Open Dec 21, Dec 28, Jan 4, & Jan 11 from 11am-4pm; Husky Harvest will open on Tuesday 1/16 for Spring Semester. NEW for Spring: Tuesdays/Thursdays from 11am-4pm – no longer open on Mondays.
  • CATERING – Closed Sunday, December 24th – Saturday, December 30th.
  • DINING HALL MEAL OPTIONS:

    • McMahon Dining Hall will be open for winter break beginning Monday, Dec 18th.
      • McMahon Hours of Operation
        • Breakfast: 7:00am – 9:30am
        • Lunch: 11:00am – 2:15pm
        • Dinner: 4:00pm – 7:15pm
    • December 15th is the Winter Recess Housing Application Deadline with Residence Life
    • DORM/SUITE: All students assigned/approved to live in a dorm/suite during Winter Break are required to have a meal plan. 
    • ON-CAMPUS APARTMENT: Students assigned/approved to live in an on-campus apartment will not be assigned a meal plan. However, options are available to purchase through our office. Please call us at 860-486-3128, M-F from 8am-5pm. 
    • Winter Break meal plans begin on Monday, December 18th.
    • When you fill out your housing form you will be able to choose one of the following meal plans
      • Meals 7 days per week: $189.00/ week  (Sunday – Saturday)
      • Meals 5 days per week: $135.00/week  (Monday-Friday only)
      • Dining Services will be closed on December 25th & January 1st 
      • Winter Break meal plans include: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, and 1 dinner per day. Unused meals do not rollover to the following day or week.
      • Students enrolled in academic, Winter Session classes (12/26/2023 – 1/12/2024), or working/interning on campus, may change their meal plan up until their third day living on campus, by contacting our office.
      • Meal plans cannot be pro-rated and are billed for the same weeks you are housed in a dorm/suite.
      • Students who are required to have a meal plan and do not select one will automatically be assigned the 7 day meal plan for $189.00 per week.

Dairy Bar to Honor Former UConn Firehouse Dog

UConn Dairy Bar is celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the UConn Fire Department by temporarily renaming their Oreo ice cream to Freckles in honor of the beloved former firehouse mascot! From 1973-1983, Freckles, the Dalmatian, accompanied fire department personnel on routine calls and public education details. Her love and energy for the students, staff, faculty, and visitors who crossed her path brightened everyone’s day!

UConn Fire Dept 125th gear can be purchased at collegethread.com/collections/uconn-firefighters

Pop Up Food Pantry to be Held Nov 8th

Dining Services will be hosting a one day Husky Harvest pop-up food pantry on Wednesday, November 8th, in the Student Union ballroom (Rm 331) from 10am-1pm or until supplies run out.

The pop up pantry is open to anyone with a UConn ID.

A few details if you plan on coming to the pantry:

  • Have your UConn ID ready for the check-in table.
  • Bags will be available but in limited supply – please bring your own if you have some.
  • Lines may be long – thank you for your patience.

For details on the Storrs campus pantry that is open weekly please visit huskyharvest.uconn.edu.

UConn Bakery Thanksgiving Pie & Baked Goods Sale

Your favorite pie sale from UConn Bakery (Not just desserts) is back! Check out all the pies, cheesecakes, dinner rolls, and sweet treats for your Thanksgiving table made and baked onsite by our talented bakery team! Gluten-free pies and cheesecakes are also available.

This sale is open to the campus community and the public.

Order today! The deadline to place orders is Friday, November 10th by 4pm.

Payment Options: Our online store accepts debit/credit cards. If you prefer to pay personal check (payable to UConn Dining Services), you will need to call our office at 860-486-3128 during business hours to place an order. Please mail or hand deliver your payment to the Department of Dining Services 3384 Towers Loop Rd, U-4071, Storrs. We are located on the first floor of the Wade Building. Check payments must be received by 4pm on Friday, November 10th, 2023.

Order Pick Up: Order pick up is Wednesday, November 22nd from 8:30am-2:30pm at the bakery (30 Gurleyville Rd, Storrs, CT). Orders cannot be picked up prior to the 22nd. The bakery staff will have a pick up tent set up in their parking lot. Why the Wednesday before Thanksgiving? The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is always chosen to ensure you have the freshest product for your Thanksgiving meal. In addition, classes are not in session and Thanksgiving week allows our bakery staff the time they need to prepare and bake all the orders.

Order here: https://bit.ly/UConnBakeryThanksgiving

Give A Flex Pass on Oct 25 to Support Students First Fund

Dining Services will be hosting our bi-annual Give-A-Meal on Wednesday, October 25th. All eight residential dining halls will be participating from 4-7:15pm. Over the years this program has supported various on- and off-campus organizations.

Students with a residential meal plan can donate one flex pass when they come to dinner on the 25th to help out their fellow huskies. All proceeds from the donated flex passes will go to support the Students First Fund, through the Dean of Students Office, which assists students during a time of need (i.e. books; clothing; food). More details about the Students First Fund can be found at https://dos.uconn.edu/.

If you don’t have a residential meal plan but want to help your fellow Huskies this semester, check out our donation drives in October and November to keep the shelves stocked at Husky Harvest food pantry.

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