our mission:
To raise awareness and funds for food and housing insecurity organizations in New Haven.
The Yale Hunger and Homeless Action Project Fast is YHHAP’s largest fundraiser of the year, and the largest student-run fundraiser on Yale’s campus. Once every semester, over 50% of the Yale student body donates their Yale Dining meal swipes for the day of the YHHAP Fast ahead of time. During the Fast, students forego their usual dining hall meal and eat out, often at one of the locally owned New Haven businesses that sponsor the Fast through in-kind food donations, lump sums, or student discounts during the Fast.
The monetary equivalent of these unused swipes — more than $10,000 per Fast — provides the greater part of funding for a plethora of YHHAP’s programs and initiatives. These programs and initiatives range from the Restaurant Rescue Project to No Closed Doors. A successful Fast is critical for a successful YHHAP, and the fundraiser depends entirely on the support and participation of the broader Yale and New Haven community.
SPRING 2022 Update:
The Fast will be returning to meal swipe donations during the Spring 2022 semester. This semester, swipe donations can be opted into from Tuesday, April 12th to Thursday, April 21st. The Fast will be held on April 22nd.
How to get involved:
Sign up to donate your meal swipes for the Fast!
For any student passionate about community engagement and the welfare of New Haven, volunteering with the YHHAP Fast is one of the easiest and most impactful commitments to make. Before the Fast, volunteers are needed over a period of 3-4 weeks, and for only 2 hours a week at the absolute maximum. These volunteers spread the word about the YHHAP Fast and recruit as many local partners as possible, as donors and sponsors must commit a week before the Fast. YHHAP Fast volunteers also encourage Yale students to join the fundraiser, and have the opportunity to lead initiatives centered around participant recruitment. Leading up to the Fast, volunteers perform key outreach to all our local New Haven and Yale stakeholders. And finally, on the day of the Fast, volunteers are needed throughout the day as promoters for the event at tables around campus.
If you are interested in helping with the Fast, please email the Fast Coordinators, Jocelyn Ra (jocelyn.ra@yale.edu) and Paul Douglass (paul.douglass@yale.edu)!