Spring Break
Campus holds food drives
Naomi Parikh
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: News
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According to Andrew Manfredo, a member of Drexel's Campus Dining service, Drexel collected about 100 pounds of food Nov. 12 through the Sodexo-sponsored "Cans Across America" food drive.
"We [Campus Dining] partnered with Sodexo in this nationwide food drive, which began at 11 a.m. and ran until 4 p.m. at different locations around the campus," Manfredo said. "We collected non-perishable food items and brought them back to the Handschumacher Dining Center to make the official count."
The nationwide food drive, held at over 530 college campuses and 200 senior centers and hospitals that partner with Sodexo, aimed to collect 400,000 pounds of food total to break the Guinness World Record for most food collected in a 24-hour period by a non-charitable organization.
"I'm very pleased at how much food we collected," Manfredo said. "I was hoping for a bit more, but I think overall, the drive was a success here."
Manfredo, who joined Campus Dining just one month ago, said he hopes for more time planning next year's food drive, as well as more community outreach.
"I think next year, we could get an earlier start and also reach out to the community more," Manfredo said. "Student clubs and local radio stations would be a big help with spreading the word."
All of the food collected from the drive will go to Philabundance.
Another drive, benefiting American soldiers in Iraq, will take place on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 12 p.m. to 4 .p.m at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Kimberly Kukawski, a senior majoring in fashion and merchandising, organized the drive as part of her event planning class at the University.
"I wanted to plan an event from start to finish," Kukawski said. "I wanted to do something that was fun and helpful, something that would make people happy."
After some research, Kukawski found the web site www.adoptaussoldier.org, which helps people communicate through letters and photographs with U.S. soldiers in Iraq. From this, she had the idea to hold an event that would collect items for soldiers.
"I e-mailed back and forth with a woman who volunteered with the program and explained what I wanted to do," Kukawski said. "She sent me information about a group of 600 soldiers who won't be able to come home for Christmas. I hope the care packages will help cheer them up and give them some encouragement."
At the event, students will be able to drop off items, write letters and help make the care packages. Kukawski said most items, from candy to clothing, will be acceptable.
"I have to re-screen all the items before I send them out, just as a precaution, but we'll take almost anything for the soldiers," Kukawski said. "I'll also have some stationery there in case people want to write letters. I know a lot of times people don't know what to say, but even a few words can give the soldiers inspiration and courage to keep fighting."
Kukawski said she hopes for a big turnout, since her friends helped with the event and she created a Facebook group for promotion.
"One of my friends on the crew team helped me reserve the gym at the DAC and got a lot of athletes involved," Kukawski said. "Also, there have been a lot of people on Facebook saying they will come, so I'm excited to see the turnout."
Kukawski's mother, a pre-school and kindergarten teacher, also had her class write letters and draw pictures to send to the soldiers.
Kukawski hopes to finish packaging over the weekend and send the packages out by mail Nov. 17, since mailing will take a longer time during the holidays.
"I definitely want to mail them before Thanksgiving because I know mailing takes about three to four weeks," Kukawski. "I'm hoping if I can mail them Monday [Nov. 17], the soldiers will receive them by Christmas."
Kukawski is still looking for funding to ship the packages. Frank Kelley, an instructor in the Department of Culture and Communication and her Event Planning class professor, has tried to help as well.
"We're looking at a few different avenues for funding right now," Kelley said. "Hopefully, we'll get some help from some sources, so the shipping cost won't be as high."
Kukawski said that even a small donation would "make someone's day," and wants people to remember the soldiers during the holidays.
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