Alternative Parking Ticket Payments Helps Feed OU Community

While the University of Oklahoma writes 45,000 parking citations each year, the Donations for Citations program lets students pay off their tickets in food donations for the OU Food Pantry.

All students have to do to take advantage of the program is donate up to 80% of your parking ticket cost with either food items or through a monetary donation to the food pantry. 

Then, students must show that receipt to OU’s Parking Services appeals office to have the ticket waived.

According to the food pantry, food insecurity is a serious problem on OU's Norman campus, with one in three students experiencing hunger.  

The food pantry said with 350 to 400 clients coming in each week, every donation matters, and students are already making a difference. 

"We have already had three or four people this week alone, we've gotten calls and emails, so I think we're going to be busy for the next few weeks," campus care coordinator Matt Marks said. "It's a win-win for everybody because you're taking something that is bad in a parking ticket and turning it into a food donation for somebody and making someone's day."

An important note however, the program is only available for use twice per student academic year.