Monday, July 13, 2009
The first annual Summer Food Drive in Lawrence, hosted by the University’s Unclassified and University Support Staff Senates, begins today and will continue until Friday. The drive was started by Thelma Simons, information technology coordinator.
“I had been collecting food at my office until now,” Simons said. “When food banks get low on food, they contact me. We’re very excited about doing this.”
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Here are current needs at the food banks that the donations will help:
Ballard Center: non-perishable canned goods, meats and vegetables.
ECKAN: kids’ foods, SpaghettiO’s, raviolis, soups, peanut butter, crackers and fruit.
Salvation Army: canned meat (tuna, chicken, etc.), cereal, baby food, formula, diapers and toilet paper.
Trinity Interfaith Food Pantry: laundry detergent, pancake mix, spaghetti sauce, diapers and powdered milk.
Donations will be collected at the following locations:
Anschutz Library, Burge Union, Computer Center, Facilities Operations Warehouse, Kansas Union, KU Endowment, Parking Department, Strong Hall rotunda, Student Recreation Fitness Center and Watson Library.
The drive will benefit Just Food, a local organization that distributes donations to community food banks. Just Food is a part of ECKAN, a partnership of local food pantries. The goal of the Summer Food Drive is to help food banks and pantries accommodate the growing need for food during the summer months, Simons said.
She said that when school children were home for the summer and no longer getting lunches at school, some families needed more food than they did the rest of the year. The economy has also increased the need for help, Simons said.
“It’s a very challenging time for many people,” Ann Weick, Just Food volunteer, said. “Drives like this are important ways to gather food.”
Michael Krings, public relations communications chair for the Unclassified Senate, said that when people were out of town over the summer, fewer donations were usually made. While the food drive is hosted by the Unclassified and University Support Staff Senates, the Senates hope students around campus will also bring donations, Krings said. Boxes will be set up at 10 locations across campus including Anschutz Library and the Kansas Union.
“For just a few cents you get a can of vegetables and it can really help someone out, help feed their kids,” Krings said. “I think it’s a great idea as a service to the community.”
Weick was dean of social welfare until she retired in 2006, and now she volunteers with Just Food. She said Just Food was working in a partnership with the Salvation Army, Trinity Interfaith Food Pantry, ECKAN and Ballard Community Center to find ways to get food in the pantries. All of the collected food is shared by the partners, Weick said. By working together, the Lawrence food pantries are more successful in getting food, she said.
Weick said past food drives with the University had been a “prominent resource” in collecting food for pantries. She said the Unclassified and University Support Staff Senates were filling in for the majority of students who were not on campus during the summer to donate.
“Just Food has been amazed at how generous people are in this city of Lawrence,” Weick said. “We’ve been very fortunate.”
— — Edited by Dylan Sands
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