Tammy Lawson, visitor experience manager in the Office of Communications and Marketing, has been with the University of Louisville for 34 years. Amanda Schweinzger, ’22, development specialist for UofL’s Health Sciences Center campus in Philanthropy, Alumni and Engagement, has worked at the university for a little over a year. What they share is a deep desire to help those in need, their fellow Cards and beyond.
For both employees, the recent government shutdown and reduction of benefits provided through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was a unique opportunity to call attention to the need. According to Dare to Care, one in eight Americans rely on SNAP benefits, including co-workers, friends and neighbors. In Jefferson County alone, SNAP has supported more than 96,000 people and 45,000+ households per month.
One food drive in November that was organized by Lawson delivered four truckloads of donations to the La Casita Center and the Chestnut Street YMCA.
In addition, just in the month of November, various holiday initiatives were organized by athletics, the Cardinal Commuter Community, Bluegrass Student Collective, Graduate School, School of Music, School of Dentistry, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Theatre Arts, Early Learning Center, Visitor Information Centers, parking and many more.
The Office of Community Engagement plays a pivotal role in all these efforts bringing departments together and setting the tone for collaboration. From hosting initial planning meetings to creating outreach materials and coordinating logistics, the team’s leadership amplifies the impact and demonstrates UofL’s commitment to supporting both internal and external community members.
“Our goal was to unite the Cardinal family in a way that showed the power of working together,” said Vice President for Community Engagement Douglas Craddock. “This drive was about more than donations—it was about building connections and supporting our neighbors during a challenging time.”
Lawson said she sees how UofL lives the community of care principle. “In the current environment, people in the world are just going their separate ways, but the Cardinal community has never worked like that. We know it takes a village, we need to stay a village and continue pulling together for one another and the broader community.”
Amanda Schweinzger, who grew up in a low-income household in Northern Kentucky, was inspired to start a drive and online fundraising campaign because she knew of people dealing with difficulty from the shutdown. “I could not just sit idly by,” she said. “I know what it’s like to struggle, what it’s like to get help from food pantries.”
Schweinzger, who started with her own department, grew the outreach from there. She decided to partner with Dare to Care, who supplies the Commonwealth Credit Union Cardinal Cupboard, extending to the broader community and giving back to an organization that gives to UofL students year-round.
While physical donations are always appreciated, Dare to Care encourages monetary donations because they can fill in the gaps in what is needed most and can supply perishables such as fresh meat and produce. Every dollar donated to Dare to Care means two meals for needy families.
For her campaign, Schweinzger set up a custom online giving link and has already raised more than $500. Her goal is to bring in $1,000 by end of January 2026.
Schweinzger said in her experience as a student and now as an employee at UofL, she sees empathy and generosity as a common core value of the campus community. “They care about people, and the community around them, and they’re always willing to rise to the occasion.”
