Students, faculty and staff of Slippery Rock University are invited to give back to the community through a food drive now underway.
The SRU Student Government Association is holding a special “We CAN Make A Difference” food drive Monday through Wednesday.
Nonperishable food items will be collected in bins located at the Smith Student Center then donated to the SGA Student Food Bank or the Feed My Sheep Food Cupboard in Slippery Rock.
All donations should be dropped off before Wednesday at 5 p.m. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate.
“We know our campus community can make a difference in helping to address food insecurity issues in the community,” said Dallas Kline, a senior communication major from Hanover and SGA president. “Half of college students in recent published studies say they are either not getting enough to eat or are worried about it. A layoff, an accident or other unexpected event such as the recent government shutdown can have a huge impact on students and families already struggling to make ends meet. If the rest of our campus community is like me, with the holidays having come and gone, they might be feeling the sense of goodwill that comes from having already given to those in need. But according to experts, the pangs of hunger are felt the sharpest during the months just after the holidays because in January and February donations only trickle in.”
Kline said when students are packing to return to campus and their parents, grandparents or others ask, ‘Is there anything else you need?,’ tell them ‘Yes – whatever nonperishable food items we have in the cupboard.’
“Once they explain that we’re doing all we CAN to help those in need, I know they’ll get loaded up before they return to campus,” he said.
Donations of nonperishable food items can be dropped off at collection bins located at the Smith Student Center: one at the Information Desk and the other outside the SGA office, inside The Suite, on the second floor. Kline asks that all donations be dropped off before 5 p.m., Jan. 23.
“This is a great way to help those in need in our community,” said Kline. “I can’t wait to show Slippery Rock just what we CAN do when we all come together.”
