The fifth-annual pre-holiday event on the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus, a Feeding America mobile pantry, will be held at Kolf Sports Center from 4 until 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22.
In partnership with Feeding America, the nationwide network of food banks, volunteers from around campus are responsible for holding the event. Team members from UW Oshkosh Career Services, the Athletics Department, student-athletes, administrators–and many others–will be among the volunteers distributing food and helping families get meals this year.
Feeding America is a nationwide network of food banks and the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. The Feeding America nationwide network of food banks, pantries and meal programs serves virtually every community in the United States–more than 46 million people including 12 million children and seven million seniors. As food insecurity rates hold steady at the highest levels ever, Feeding America has risen to meet the need.
The campus community has an opportunity to help have a positive impact the community– and solve the hunger crisis during this holiday season–through the event held on campus. After receiving a generous $5,000 donation from the local Kiwanis Club, UW Oshkosh’s December Feeding America mobile food pantry will be a record $10,000 event with two semi-trailer trucks and 50,000 pounds of food. The amount doubles UW Oshkosh’s previous goal of 25,000 pounds of food.
“I want to thank Mid-Morning Kiwanis Club of Oshkosh, Stacy Schmid RE/MAX, the NCAA Spotlight Initiative, B104 and Marty in the Morning, Titan Athletics, Feeding America and Stoney Megel for all their support in this year’s mobile pantry,” said Pat Cerroni, Titans head football coach.
Career Services volunteers
In preparation for the seasonal drive, UW Oshkosh Career Services held a drive of their own to collect goods. Additionally, a group of seven of Career Services staff members spent a day this week sorting and preparing food for pantries and other agencies.
“It is important to understand everything that goes into addressing hunger in our communities–first-hand experience I feel is the best education. Knowledge is power,”said Jaime Page-Stadler, Career Services director. “These experiences will hopefully enable to us to share with others and make our impact contagious.”
The mobile food pantry is open to the public.