Student organization hosting food drive this month
October 16, 2012
By Arion Wright
The UK Student Dietetic and Nutrition Association is hosting a food drive for UK Paws For Hunger until Oct. 31.
The food drive is a competition, said Kelsey Fletcher, the facilitator of the event.
She said students who give canned goods should mention an organization they are affiliated with, and points will be given to that organization. At the end of the competition, the organization with the most points wins a movie night in Center Theater on Nov. 8, Fletcher said.
Christa Childers, a member of the Student Dietetic and Nutrition Association, said that she saw that hunger was noticeable in third-world countries when she studied abroad in Ghana.
She said that UK faculty have grants for school lunches at the Kentucky Academy in Ghana.
“When you go to third-world countries, you can tell that hunger is an issue,” Fletcher said. “If you walk down the streets in my neighborhood, it isn’t as noticeable. You can go through your day and not notice it.
“The food drive will allow students to become more aware of the issue of local hunger. Faculty is doing something about it, but we want to advocate so students will want to do something about the problem.”
Fletcher said the canned goods from the food drive will be delivered to God’s Pantry, a food bank in Lexington.
“I think this is a great idea to give back to the community in an easy, fun and competitive way,” said Mollie Dawahare, a dietetics senior.
Students wanting to learn more about the food drive can visit the UK Paws For Hunger Facebook page or email Fletcher at [email protected]. To arrange a pickup time, they can email Fletcher.
Fletcher said a table will be set up outside of Starbucks in the Student Center for the food drive on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Oct. 19 and 26, representatives from the Student Dietetic and Nutrition Association will be at the table to collect canned goods from 2 to 4 p.m.
