{"id":150391,"date":"2026-01-06T11:30:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T16:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391//?p=150391"},"modified":"2026-01-06T11:33:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T16:33:08","slug":"freshu-kitchens-renovation-fights-food-insecurity-for-ucf-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391//freshu-kitchens-renovation-fights-food-insecurity-for-ucf-students/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391//","title":{"rendered":"FreshU Kitchen/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u2019s Renovation Fights Food Insecurity for Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ Students"},"content":{"rendered":"
Over the last decade, Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u2019s Wellness and Health Promotion Services has worked to ensure students have access to fresh, healthy food with its FreshU Kitchen program. Now thanks to a $100,000 award from Florida Blue, even more students will benefit from its services./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/n
/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u201cWe are beyond thrilled to have a dedicated community partner in Florida Blue. Their unwavering support creates a healthier Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ community,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u201d says Stephanie Spies /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u201906 /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u201909MA, director of Wellness and Health Promotion Services. /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u201cFreshU Kitchen has evolved into a comprehensive care unit for our students, empowering one Knight at a time./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/n Florida Blue/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u2019s support is helping the FreshU Kitchen reach more students than ever, expanding access to fresh foods, hands-on cooking education and the nutrition resources Knights need to make healthy choices and thrive academically and personally./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/n FreshU Kitchen began as small campus gardens and has grown into a program that feeds thousands of students each year for free through equitable access to nutritious meals and cooking education. FreshU Kitchen has become more than a source of meals /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u2014 it is a foundation for student success and well-being./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/n Last month, the kitchen celebrated its recent major renovation /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u2014 made possible by Florida Blue /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u2014 with a ribbon cutting. The funding allowed Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ to acquire professional kitchen equipment and offer more cooking classes and demonstrations. It also ensures students have access to fresh fruits and vegetables while addressing food insecurity through quality nutrition./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/n The expansion enables FreshU Kitchen to grow from serving 8,000 students annually to more than 11,000./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/n “At Florida Blue, we believe that access to healthy food is a fundamental right, and we’re proud to support Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½’s FreshU Kitchen program in its mission to combat food insecurity and promote student success. This investment in the Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ community aligns with our commitment to building a healthier Florida, and we’re excited to see the positive impact it will have on the lives of thousands of students,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/u201d says Tony Jenkins, Central Florida Market president, Florida Blue./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150391/n