By Amanda Heersink | University Communications
DENVER – The CU Denver Food Pantry opened its doors almost two years ago and has been going strong since. Through donations, an average of 40 students have been helped each month for a total of more than 700 visits.
Now the CU Denver Food Pantry staff is challenging the greater University community to get involved beginning next week on Monday, January 28.
Feed the Need is a program designed to get the community involved by challenging groups to gather food items from Jan. 28 through Feb. 28.
“We’re rolling out this challenge in partnership with the otheh two schools on the Auraria Campus (Metropolitan State University and Community College of Denver) because we felt there was a need to raise consciousness on the issues of hunger and food insecurity on our campus,” Nelson Rodriquez, community engagement coordinator, said. “There are many misconceptions regarding our students and their access to food. This program allows students, faculty and staff from our three institutions to combat relevant issues collectively.”
Student organizations as well as academic and administrative departments from all three institutions are invited to participate. So as you’re doing your own grocery shopping this weekend, you might select a few additional items to donate.
The group that drops off the highest amount of food, by weight, on collection day. will be awarded a newly-created annual food collection trophy as well as other prizes for the whole team.
Along with the collection competition there will be multiple fun events such as a Hunger Banquet on Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. in the Tivoli. The Hunger Banquet is designed to raise consciousness on the issues of hunger and poverty and how they affect our campus community. Advanced registration for the banquet is required and can be done online.
Click to see a full list of events and to register your team for Feed the Need visit the website here.
Items to donate must be non-perishable. Best choices include canned soups, easy-to-prepare meals and even some personal care items such as toothpaste.
You also can contact Nelson Rodriquez in the Experiential Learning Center at 303-556-6656 for more information about the events that a part of the Feed the Need .
(Photo: Adam Deherrera (left) and Maricela Ortega welcome donations at the CU Denver Food Pantry).
Contact: amanda.heersink@ucdenver.edu or nelson.2.rodriguez@ucdenver.edu
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