A canned food drive on the university's recent Staff Appreciation Day aided Allied Churches of Alamance County, a Burlington, N.C.-based charity that operates a food pantry to serve the region's hungry and homeless.
Elon University staff members donated 1,650 pounds of food in late May to a local nonprofit that assists the homeless and hungry in surrounding communities.
Collected on May 30, 2014, during Staff Appreciation Day, the pasta, rice, fruit, vegetables and cereal contributed by staff members represented the second-largest food donation over the past year from the university to Allied Churches of Alamance County.
Employees who made a canned food donation at Staff Appreciation Day had their names entered into a drawing for tickets to an upcoming NASCAR race in Charlotte.
“The staff did a remarkable job coming through with donations,” said Steven Caldwell, director of Campus Kitchen at Elon University. “Allied Churches is thrilled about the support it’s received from Elon through various food drives.”
Campus Kitchen at Elon University is the local campus affiliate of the national Campus Kitchen Project. It collects unused and unserved food from community partners, including ARAMARK Dining Services, for distribution to those in need.
Sororities from the Panhellenic Council collected nearly 2,400 pounds of food in April as part of Greek Week. Campus Kitchen helped with the organization of both recent drives.
Caldwell noted that food donations tend to be slower during spring and summer months. While many people readily give during the holiday season, supplies often “ebb” for food banks and pantries in warmer weather.
Allied Churches accepts donations at the Holly Hill Mall on Huffman Mill Road in Burlington from 12-4 p.m., Monday through Friday. It has indicated that the food items that are most needed include:
- Cereal, oatmeal, grits, granola bars
- Pasta, pasta sauce, macaroni n cheese, rice, stuffing
- Canned tuna, chicken, beef stew, canned potatoes, Peanut Butter
- Sugar
- Flour
- Butter
- Mayo
- Salt and pepper, seasonings
- “Heavy duty” aluminum foil, and plastic wrap