Mercer University’s Student Government Association is partnering with Mercer Police to launch an initiative in March that would allow students to have select parking tickets forgiven in exchange for donations of non-perishable items.
Sen. Lekhan Patel ‘27 said that smaller tickets, which cost around $20-$30, can be forgiven in exchange for food donations equivalent to the ticket amount. More serious violations like parking in handicapped parking spot without proper paperwork or violations that result in towing will not be eligible for the initiative, MerPo Chief of Police Haley Beckham told SGA on Monday.
Donations will be due by the payment date listed on the parking tickets. SGA will collect, bag and store the goods in a secure location.
“Ideally, we do want this to be year-round,” Patel said. “In order for it to be year-round, we kind of have to figure out what's right, what's wrong, what's working, what's not working.”
Patel came up with the idea for a campus food pantry that would be stocked through the canned food exchange during her freshman year at Mercer. She said she had difficulty accessing food off-campus because she did not have a car at the time. She also said she thought of international students, who she said may deal with academic burdens or food insecurity, when conceptualizing this plan.
In Monday's SGA meeting, President Alisha Mitchell '26 told the group that some universities across the state have enacted similar programs on their campuses. The Red and Black, the University of Georgia's student newspaper, reported in November 2023 on a program akin to SGA's new initiative.
Patel said the Office of Student Affairs will share a Google form with the student body. Interested students can input their student ID numbers and allergies. Students will be notified of the pantry’s location after SGA is given the number of interested students and available non-perishable goods.
Patel’s intention is to meet the needs of the community, but not to judge who is eligible.
“If students are interested, [SGA] can't be the ones to judge who needs it and who doesn't need it,” Patel said. “It's our kind of job to help them get what they need.”
Leftover items will be donated to a homeless shelter in Macon, according to Patel.
Macon had a large homeless population of 461 people in 2024, which is a 250% increase from 2022, according to reporting from The Macon Newsroom. As a public health major, Patel was particularly drawn to assessing the situation.
“We're supposed to be the bridge between the university and the students,” Patel said. “But I wanted to take this a step further and kind of build the gap between the community, Mercer and the students. Just all of us together in general.”
She added that she saw potential for student organizations to participate in a donation contest. Participants who donate the most non-perishable items could be entered into a raffle to win an orange parking decal, according to Patel. The decal would be provided as part of SGA’s partnership with Mercer Police and would allow winning students to park in any lot on campus.
