Lipscomb begins food collection for needy during holidays and into 2010

Lipscomb University will be showing a “can-do” attitude over the next four months as various student groups and departments hold canned goods drives for the hungry in Nashville. Keep reading to see how you can participate.

 

4 Dates for Donations:

 

 

Hazel Arthur’s senior social work practice class collected canned goods this month for the Radnor Church of Christ food pantry, serving families involved with Youth Encouragement Services, (Y.E.S.) McIver Center enrichment programs.

 

The students’ drive ended Friday, Nov. 6. The collection came about as a way for the students to experience a community-changing service activity as part of the senior-level class requiring a four-hour practicum with a local non-profit. The group decided to establish a food pantry for Radnor church, which will use the food to serve meals to  low-income children enrolled in Y.E.S. programs and to serve as an emergency food pantry for neighborhood families during times of distress.

 

The group collected more than 2,000 cans. One-quarter of those came from a “trick-or-treating” outing on Oct. 30, when the students went door-to-door in neighborhoods surrounding the Lipscomb campus to ask for canned goods.

 

Click here to see the video of Lipscomb’s Anna Day talking about the can drive on Channel 4’s Better Nashville

 

 

Sodexo, Lipscomb’s dining service operator, will be collecting canned goods through Wednesday, Nov. 11. Helping Hands collection bins are in the Bison Café or in the Second Harvest Food Bank truck in Bison Square.

 

Sodexo is collecting food donations across the nation in a bid to set a new Guinness World Record Lipscomb’s donations will be counted in the Sodexo total.

 

In addition to donating cans, Sodexo is also accepting $5 and $10 cash donations, which can be sent to Mary Katherine Hughes, Sodexo Marketing, One University Park Drive, 37204.

 

The company is offering a special incentive to Lipscomb’s faculty and staff: for every donation of $5, Sodexo will provide a coupon for $3.50 off a Bison Café meal. In addition, anyone who buys three canned goods in Uncle Dave’s convenience market for donation will get a free pack of gum.

 

 

 

In keeping with Lipscomb’s holiday tradition, the annual Lighting of the Green, Dec. 1, will include a collection of canned goods or monetary donations for Nashville’s Second Harvest Food Bank. Lighting of the Green is a free community holiday event featuring an outdoor concert by Amy Grant.

 

The food bank’s Feeding Hope Challenge to raise 300,000 pounds of food in 30 days will kick off in December, with Lighting of the Green serving as one of the first major events in the campaign.

 

A $1 donation will provide four meals within Second Harvest’s 46 county service area.

 

Click here for more details on Lighting of the Green 2009.

 

 

 

 

In an effort to keep the giving going even after the holiday season, a group of students in the law, justice & society program are developing a campaign to help churches, corporations and individuals work together to donate food to Second Harvest in February, a usually lean time for donations.

 

Students in the community organizing class, taught by Dr. Charla Long, director of the Institute for Law, Justice & Society, have created the Hearts4Hunger campaign, which will encourage churches in Tennessee to conduct a Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, food collection for Second Harvest. The overall goal is to provide money or food for 2 million meals.

 

After the new year, students will also be contacting corporations to request February donations, and will offer a line of Valentine’s Day e-cards that individuals can send to loved ones to let them know they made a food donation in their honor. During this semester, the students have created various marketing appeals and publications and established a Website and Facebook group for the campaign.

 

If you would like to get involved in the Hearts4Hunger campaign or to learn more about how you can volunteer to fight hunger locally click here.