Food drive delivers the goods
December 20, 2007
What started out as a drive to benefit two local food pantries generated enough support to assist four such agencies, thanks to the generosity of the Â鶹Æƽâ°æ community.
Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Cares, now in its second year, collected some 1,400 food items as well as cash, with additional donations still coming in. Groupings of employees and students, each headed by campus "cheerleaders," were assigned specific food items and goals.
Â鶹Æƽâ°æ students and staff have delivered boxes of food to the Franklin Community Center, the Mechanicville Community Center, the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council (EOC) and the Salvation Army. In addition, nearly $1,200 was given to Shelters of Saratoga for perishable food items such as meat, cheese and fresh vegetables, and $250 was given to EOC for baby supplies such as diapers.
Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Cares also collected gently used children's books, which have been distributed to the Franklin Community Center, Saratoga Mentoring, Ronald McDonald House and Head Start.
The student component of the program was organized by the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, with support from the student organization Benef-Action. In addition to food donations collected in the residence halls by student volunteers, Â鶹Æƽâ°æ athletes competed to collect the most "virtual food" through cash donations.
Faculty, staff and their families dropped off their donations in a sleigh on the front yard of Scribner House when they attended the Community Holiday Open House, hosted by Phil and Marie Glotzbach, on December 8 and 9.
"This program enhances for the Â鶹Æƽâ°æ community the meaningfulness of gathering together in the spirit of the season," said Marie Glotzbach, who is spearheading the effort. "We hope our efforts will continue to make a tremendous difference in the lives of many local families for many months to come."
2007 Cheerleaders
Group | Food Items | Representative(s) |
---|---|---|
Administrative/professional staff | Soups | Sherry Ankeny, Alex Chaucer, Beth Freeland, Erin Martinovich, Marianne Needham |
Support Staff | Tuna | Jeannie Eddy, Patty Ivory, Jill Jones, Barbara McDonough |
Union Local #200 (trades) | Jell-O gelatin and pudding | Kevin Lloyd |
Admissions | Macaroni and cheese | Sarah Ireland |
Advancement | SpaghettiOs | Karen Garnsey |
Athletics | Peanut butter and jelly | Darren Bennett |
Benef-Action | Juices | Heather Miki |
Campus Safety | Rice | Larry Britt |
Dining Services management | Baked beans | John Batch |
Facilities management | Canned fruits | Colleen Manning |
Faculty | Pasta sauce and canned tomatoes | John Brueggemann |
Greenberg Child Care Center | Non-perishable healthy snacks | Nancy Wheeler |
SGA | Cereal (hot and cold) | Melissa Ausanka-Crues |
Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Shop | Canned vegetables | Bob Carleton |
Student Athletic Advisory Committee | Crackers | Sasha Diamond-Lenow |
Students Affairs | Pasta | Jen Burden |