RWC Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society President Anthony Rowe has arranged for his student orginization to sponsor a food drive.This will take place during Spring Fling, Wednesday, May 21.
The group will be selling soft drinks and bottled water, and the funds will be donated to the Free Store Food Bank.
In lieu of not collecting money, they will also take donations of non-perishable canned items, minimum of two.
President Rowe released the following statement to exlpain the intentions and results of the event:
“Most of us cannot imagine what it must be like to really be hungry. Yes, we all know how it feels to be late getting our lunch or dinner and we say things like ‘wow I’m starving,’ or to feel that groan in your midsection in the middle of that 10 or 11 a.m. class, but to really go without enough food on a regular basis is something that I am betting is an alien experience to the vast majority of us here at Raymond Walters.
“Now remember that groan in your midsection but imagine that instead of feeling it because you are stuck in class or you overslept and missed breakfast you feel it because you honestly do not have the money to get something to eat. Worse yet, imagine that not only do you feel it but that your children are feeling it as well, it is still a week until payday, and you do not have the money to put an end to that feeling in their stomachs. Literally more than a hundred thousand people in our area deal with this and the people who work to help them are running desperately short on supplies. This situation, to my mind, is simply unacceptable.
“A little while ago I sent an email to the officers in my Student Organization, Phi Theta Kappa, after having heard a story on the radio regarding hunger in our area and across our nation. The message reads, in part, (I’ll spare you some of the mundane details) as follows:
“As you may or may not know, many of the food banks across the country are running out of supplies, this includes the ones that serve the Cincinnati area. There are now more than 100,000 people living under the poverty level in Hamilton County alone. At least 40,000 of those are children. I was thinking that we should see what we need to do to place drop-off boxes around school for a week or two and collect as much non-perishable food and other items as we can.
“Times are rough for many people, but when I think about how lucky I am to always have enough food, shelter, and clothing it makes me realize that there are many (thousands in our area alone) who do not. As an organization, we may be able to help in some small way. I think this is the kind of thing we should be trying to do.
“Our Advisor and officers agreed and we have worked to accomplish the goal of holding a food drive on campus this year. Now with the help and sponsorship of The Office of Student Life, Phi Theta Kappa will be co-sponsoring a canned food drive benefiting The Free Store Food Bank during the week of Spring Fling, May 24 through May 30. During that week donation barrels will be placed around campus and signs posted explaining what to donate and where. During the Spring Fling picnic on Wednesday May 26, we will be selling soft drinks and bottled water with the proceeds going to the Free Store Food Bank. For every dollar that we collect, the food bank can buy seven dollars worth of food, so for the price of a couple of soft drinks or a bottle of water, you can feed someone essentially an entire meal. Donations can include any non-perishable food items. Student life will be accepting canned goods (minimum of two non-perishable food items) at Spring Fling in lieu of a cash donation for a drink.
“I realize that the economy is hurting most of us. Household budgets are tighter than ever and if you consider the cost of fuel the situation is even worse. However, I also realize that there are probably enough cans of uneaten vegetables and other miscellaneous items in all our pantries to feed many, many hungry people and their children, people who simply cannot obtain those items without our help right now. I also know that when you are enjoying a great spring day with a picnic in the quad, you would, in all likelihood, be looking for something cold to drink anyway, so why not get the drink with the knowledge that the money will help to feed someone who cannot afford a cold drink and a decent meal whenever they want.
“I have heard some of the criticisms of the people needing this assistance, and I can tell you that the numbers simply do not bear those arguments out. Most of the people who utilize these services work, some trying to hold down more than one job. They are not uneducated, ignorant, or lazy. But please do not take my word for it. Look up the statistics and see for yourself. You can read the recent Hunger Report at the first link below. Please check out the Free Store Food Bank website (second link below) for more information as well. The organization provides much more than food assistance; they work to help many help themselves and improve us all in the process. Finally check out the Free Store Food Bank video on You Tube at the third link below. The video highlights much of what has been said here and more.
“It is really a very little thing that any one of us can do, to drop off some extra food, buy a soft drink when we are thirsty anyway, stop even for just a second and realize how much we have and how there really are those who do not. Together we can help to change what is truly an unacceptable situation.
www.freestorefoodbank.org/pdf/AnnualReport.pdf
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyuaKHbXwGc
Anthony Rowe
President
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
Upsilon Psi Chapter
University of Cincinnati | Blue Ash Raymond Walters College
(513) 543-7910