The saying "count your pennies" is taking on new meaning at BYU this November. Why? The annual Valley United Against Hunger food drive, of course. For each dollar that is donated, the local food bank is able to secure three meals, or 15 pounds of food.
BYU Student Alumni, the group responsible for planning the drive, has established multiple ways to give. Those wishing to give can bring non-perishable food to place in bins located around campus, donate in-person at the BYU Store/Dining Services locations or online at fooddrive.byu.edu.
On Tuesday night, students went door-to-door in a food blitz that gained 2,200 lbs. of food. Dining Services created a giant Cosmo cupcake mural, and proceeds went to providing more food.
"It's exciting and humbling to think that by joining forces with UVU to fight hunger, thousands of people in our community will be helped this holiday season," said Cragun Liston, BYU Student Alumni President.
According to the Utah Food Bank, one in five children in Utah are unsure where their next meal will come from, and one in seven Utahns run the risk of missing a meal each day. By donating food or money, the BYU community can help to tackle hunger in its own backyard.
The food will be collected and distributed by Community Action Services, the food bank that oversees all of Utah County. Last year's Valley United drive raised $26,924, which, when combined with food donations, provided 108,923 pounds of food for the local community.
Writer: Josh Thomas
