by LINDSEY SCHIBELHUT, Staff Reporter.
Do you have cans of food in your pantry that you’ll never touch? The Delta Food Pantry is in need of supplies! The pantry is holding the 5th Annual March Madness Food Drive from March 21 to March 28. The goal for the drive is to be able to stockpile the food pantry with 10,000 non-perishable, shelf-safe and non-expired food.
“March Madness is one of our most important events in regard to supplying resources to the Food Pantry,” says Sociology Professor Colleen Wilson-Rood, “it has been very successful in the past.”
Some of the suggested donation items include: canned fruit or fruit cups, microwaveable meals, canned tuna or chicken, protein bars, spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, pasta, rice and side dish packages.
“Food insecurity is a growing problem across the U.S. and certainly in the Great Lakes Bay Region,” says Rood.
She says families and individuals are having to stretch their income for many reasons which is impacting their access to food. The higher cost of food, loss of income due to unemployment and having to pay more pressing bills, are causes for the food shortages.
“These issues lead many to tough decisions such as having to skip meals, feed their children first (and go without) and/or stretch food resources with less per meal during the day,” says Rood. “Our foremost goal is to make sure students are not hungry while they are on campus.”
Rood says during the 2013-2014 academic year the Delta College Food Pantry recorded 1,553 student visits to the food pantry. During the visits a total of 14,388 items were distributed to students.
“1,484 “mini bag” lunches and 1,060 large “take-home” bags of food were distributed during that time,” says Rood.
Students are encouraged to donate cash or the much needed items as a whole class. Why? Every food item is going to be worth one point and each dollar collected will be worth three points. All of the food and cash points will be totaled by the end of the drive and the winning class with the most points will then be announced. The winning class will receive a pizza party or if your class is in the morning a breakfast pastry party is also available for winning. The class will also get individual certificates of achievement and the March Madness Soup Can Trophy.
“Last year we collected 4,005 points,” says Rood, “Our goal this year is 10,000 points.”
There are going to be donation drop off locations in the Delta LLIC and some of the off site locations including the main offices at the Planetarium, Saginaw and Midland campuses. When you drop off donations, record how many items you bring in, along with the course name, section and instructor on the log in sheet(s) for the class you are donating on behalf of. If you can’t donate food, cash donations are also accepted. Students must give their cash donations to Food Pantry board members only. Cash donations can be given to Kristin Cornelius in S-204, Colleen Wilson-Rood in G-104 or Jennifer Duncan in F-256.
“As long as we have the resources (everything we have and obtain is through donations) we will continue to make sure Delta students in need have something to eat while on campus as well as do our best to help them with food for home,” says Rood.
For more information regarding the 5th Annual March Madness Food Drive you can contact Colleen Wilson-Rood at colleenwilsonrood@delta.edu, Kristin Cornelius at kristincornelius@delta.eduor Jennifer Duncan at jenniferduncan@delta.edu.