Food drive a record success
By JENNIFER KANNE
The Fifth Annual Hunger Drive, which occurred over Thanksgiving week, yielded a record-setting count of donations with more than 16,000 food items.
Students also contributed more than $12,000 through Access card donations in Benson Memorial Center, and faculty and staff raised an additional $1,600.
Second Harvest Food Bank of San Jose and San Mateo received the food and monetary donations, which are available to local homeless shelters and other community organizations.
Many Santa Clara organizations and individuals participated in the hunger drive, including Associated Students of Santa Clara University, Santa Clarans for Social Justice, Housing and Residence Life and Santa Clara Community Action Program.
David Thompson,Assistant Resident Director of Swig Residence Hall, coordinated this year's food drive.
"I hope people don't just think about this when it gets cold outside, but remember that there are hungry people all the time, and you can always give," Thompson said.
Students from SCCAP placed collection barrels on every dorm floor and in each department on campus for food donations. At the week's close, members of Sigma Pi fraternity retrieved the barrels, and took them to the Benson Parlors where the items were tallied.
The week of the food drive featured other activities that supplemented the message of service. Students volunteered at Martha's Soup Kitchen one evening. A show featuring a hypnotist also occurred. Students who brought one can to donate at the door received $1 off admission.
The Oxfam Hunger Banquet capped the week's efforts to collect food as well as remind the university community about local needs. A letter was sent to faculty and staff inviting them to participate in the banquet as well. More than 120 people attended, according to Thompson.Each person who attended was assigned an identity as a resident of a particular country and social position. The assignments corresponded with data on poverty and hunger worldwide, and were intended to illustrate the ratio of those who enjoy living in a first world country to those who struggle for sustenance in third world countries.
As an incentive to maximize donations, residence hall floors competed against one another, vying for a pizza party and other prizes.
Swig's 10th floor took first place with over 11,000 ounces of food. Resident Assistant George Kallingal said his floor's enthusiasm for the hunger drive gave him ideas for future events and activities.
As a result of the drive's success, he plans to reinforce the message of alleviating hunger through a floor trip to Martha's Soup Kitchen this quarter and a similar event in the spring. Kallingal said residents continued to donate items until the last few minutes of the hunger drive.
Swig's second floor claimed third prize in the drive. Inter-Hall Council member Quinn Shean spearheaded a monetary collection, which she used to purchase items in bulk on behalf of the floor.
"Everyone we asked gave at least $1," Shean said. "People want to help."