Crushing Hunger One Can at a Time
It’s time, once again, for Huntington University and five other area universities to do battle in a fun competition to crush hunger in northeast Indiana. #UCanCrushHunger 2019, sponsored by the Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, Inc., began on October 21 and runs through November 5.
“It’s important for students to understand that our campus is an extension of our community,” said Dr. Norris Friesen, director of volunteer service and outreach ministry. “That is, 1 in 7 people in northeast Indiana are food insecure. We can have an impact in our immediate community by helping meet the needs of our neighbors. The food we collect during the campaign and the money we raise will be donated to Love INC to help provide immediate assistance.”
The purpose of this intercollegiate competition is to collect food to be distributed to the over 84,000 people in northeast Indiana who are food insecure. Huntington University’s collected food will go directly to Love INC. Last year, Huntington University collected 3,536 pounds of food for Love INC and came in fourth place in the competition; combined, the area colleges collected 40,704 pounds in 2018. HU’s Friesen Center is asking students, faculty, staff and friends to donate cans or dollars ($1 = 4 pounds) for the cause. Needed items include peanut butter, canned meat, canned tuna, canned vegetables and canned fruit.
“For many students, I’m not sure they realize how diverse Huntington is. We seek to get students involved in local agencies, and this is another way students can see how they can have an impact,” said Friesen. “As a Christian liberal arts university, I think we need to reinforce the message of Jesus to feed the poor and care for those who have need. This is a practical and easy way to underscore the importance of this message.”
Huntington University will be collecting food at the men’s basketball scrimmage against DePauw University on October 26 at 2:00 p.m. in Platt Arena at the Merilat Complex & Fieldhouse. Canned food will be accepted in lieu of an admission charge. Monetary donations can also be made online.
Another way the university is contributing to the food drive is through Olympiad, a large campus event hosted by the Student Activities Board where students compete in various activities. There will be a “can-struction” event where teams will compete to build a structure out of canned foods. Teams must collect their own cans, which will all be donated to the food drive. The event will be held on October 26 at 12:30 p.m. in the upper level of Habecker Dining Commons.
For more information about the #UCanCrushHunger food drive, please contact the Friesen Center for Volunteer Service at (260) 358-3696 or friesencenter@huntington.edu.
