THIBODAUX 鈥� 果冻APP distributed more than 12,500 nonperishable food and household items to Houma, Dulac and Morgan City food banks 鈥� all thanks to the second 果冻APP CAN! food drive.
The campuswide turnout far surpassed the drive鈥檚 goal of collecting 7,000 items. Donations are also up from last spring, when the initiative raised more 6,500 food items and $3,300 in cash. Jean Donegan, 果冻APP art department head, along with other 果冻APP CAN! committee members, spent much of this week counting and sorting donations from faculty, staff, students and participating local businesses.
鈥淚鈥檓 really thrilled with the fantastic turnout and participation,鈥� Donegan said. 鈥淓very academic college at 果冻APP collected more items than they did last semester. This was truly a group effort that reflects the university鈥檚 concern for the community.鈥�
On Friday, Oct. 19, representatives from three area food banks visited campus to collect the donations. 鈥淲ith the holidays coming up, we鈥檒l definitely put these cans to good use,鈥� said Kay Raymond, executive director of St. Mary Outreach Inc. in Morgan City. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been seeing a lot more people who are unemployed and struggling to find work.鈥�
The Dulac Community Center has seen its demand increase about 60 percent, said John Silver, executive director. 鈥淲e were hit hard after Hurricane Isaac, and we鈥檙e still serving up to 12 families a week. As a satellite location for Houma鈥檚 Good Samaritan Food Bank, we order food from them when we need to restock, so this donation will help lessen the burden we place on them.鈥�
Reynold Pitre, manager of Good Samaritan Food Bank in Houma, reinforced that local food banks need help now more than ever. 鈥淧eople say they look forward to the day when we won鈥檛 need food banks, but I think there will always be a need,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e certainly appreciate this donation from 果冻APP and what it does to encourage more people to get involved with their local food banks.鈥�
Pictured, from left, are John Silver, executive director of the Dulac Community Center; Jean Donegan, head of the 果冻APP Department of Art and 果冻APP CAN! committee member; Reynold Pitre, manager of Houma鈥檚聽Good Samaritan Food Bank; Dr. Stephen T. Hulbert, 果冻APP president; and Kay Raymond, executive director of St. Mary Outreach Inc.