Since 2017, Broadreach Public Relations has partnered with University Credit Union (UCU) to share the story of its remarkable growth and community impact, from its founding on the University of Maine campus in 1967 to today as one of Maine’s largest, statewide financial cooperatives.
A defining example of our partnership was the UCU Ending Hunger on Campus initiative, launched in 2018 at a moment when few in Maine were talking about the growing issue of food insecurity among college students. Broadreach and UCU recognized this, and, taking inspiration from the Maine Credit Union League’s longstanding Ending Hunger campaign, launched a fundraising effort to raise awareness for student food insecurity while raising money for campus-based food pantries across the University of Maine System.
After grounding ourselves in the research around campus food insecurity, we shaped persuasive messaging and used earned, owned and shared media to position UCU as a leading voice on the issue. In its first year, EHOC exceeded its fundraising goal by double-digits and EHOC became an annual initiative. Since then, on-campus food pantries have opened across campuses throughout Maine, and the issue of student food insecurity is far more recognized than it was in 2018.