Paying off a parket ticket has never felt so good.

Food for Fines, a student government initiative that runs through Friday, allows students to pay parking citations with nonperishable foods and hygiene products.

“Parking is a huge issue here at WSU,” Student Advocate Kitrina Miller said. “I knew that students were really going to be excited there was a different way they can pay off their parking citations. It was a win for students.”

Anybody with a WSU ID can participate in Food for Fines.

It works like this: for tickets up to $25, at least five items must be donated. For tickets up to $50, at least seven items must be donated. Donations must be brought to the SGA office, RSC 219. Only citations received within the last two months are eligible. Along with the donation, students must complete a parking quiz.

Up to five citations can be forgiven. Citations older than two months are not allowed.

The initiative debuted last month with 1,087 donated products and 151 forgiven citations.

“I was thrilled,” Miller said.

The program wouldn’t have been possible without the groundwork laid by Rheanna Pierce, SGA’s previous student advocate, Miller said.

[Rheanna] had come up with this idea and had wanted to get it started,” Miller said. “I was able to get it up and running.”

Miller said “quite a few” students have told her they were happy the initiative finally came to fruition.

“Faculty and staff were thrilled too,” she said.

Miller said she hopes to make Food for Fines a twice-a-semester program — once around midterms and once around finals.

“I hope [the program] gains a lot more traction in the future, and I hope future student advocates continue on with it as well,” Miller said.

With the extra donations coming in, “we almost have too much [in the Shocker Support Locker],” Miller said.

“We have so much mac and cheese and vegetables. I’ve actually had to take things off the Food for Fines donations wish list. So it’s completely stocked. It’s a lot better than it was beforehand.”

Students with parking tickets wanting to participate in Food for Fines can donate through 5 p.m. Friday.

Full details can be found at wichita.edu/studentadvocate.

How does Food for Fines work?

-Students with parking tickets can have up to five citations forgiven through donations.

-For tickets up to $25, at least five items must be donated.

-For tickets between $26 and $50, at least seven items must be donated.

-Citations older than two months are not eligible.

-Items accepted:                                                                                                          

• • Canned meats
  • Canned fruits
  • Whole grains (cereals, granola/protein bars)
  • Pasta, noodles, rice
  • Canned beans, soups, chili
  • Instant potatoes bags/boxes
  • Pasta sauces
  • Menstrual hygiene products  
  • Toilet paper                
  • Deodorants/soaps/shampoos/conditioners

-Donations can be dropped off in the SGA office, RSC 219.                                                

-Along with a donation, WSU’s parking quiz must be completed for citation forgiveness.

-Food for Fines runs through Friday at 5 p.m.