Spring Break
Food for thought
Daniel Crisman
Issue date: 11/12/07 Section: The Scene
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But every Thanksgiving, there are families in need of food and those that ultimately go without. It is around the holidays that the necessity of food drives are spotlighted. The need for this type of support is evident even to the students at ETSU.
Leo Williams, a history major and food drive donator, said that ETSU's holiday food drive is "important to this community, especially the impoverished sections in this season." The need is clear, and the students know they need to step up. But too many did not even know about the food drive, and some that had heard about it did not know vital information about donation.
Is it that there was a lack of advertisement? Despite getting an e-mail, posters advertisements are few and far between. I believe I have only seen one poster regarding the food drive, despite multiple per wall in some places regarding the All-American Rejects concert.
I did receive an e-mail concerning the drive that contained a lot of helpful information as well as several dozen donation locations listed, but to be honest, how many ETSU students resist clicking delete and read their e-mails from the university in between papers and homework and the little free time they get between classes, sleep and studying? Michael Royston said "I don't even know where you drop the food off." So maybe lack of caring is not the problem, but rather, lack of information.
It is taking place as you read. Although the Staff Senate is the main sponsor, both the Faculty Senate and Student Government Association participate as well. Jamie Simmons is behind the food drive, and she says, "We have donation locations all over campus."
This should make it easy to donate, and they not only accept food but monetary donations as well. The food is distributed to the Washington Country Department of Education, both the Johnson City and Elizabethton hospices and the Woman's Shelter, among other locations.
The monetary donations are used to purchase gift cards and are put in with the boxes of food. Some of these boxes also go out to families in need in the ETSU community, and if anything is left around Christmas time, the remaining food will be donated to a church.
So, avoid the temptation of hitting the delete button on that message in your inbox. Read it, and take some initiative. Go to the store and pick up a couple cans of food. Or if you don't have time, drop a couple dollars off at one of the many convenient locations available, more than one of which you probably have a class near. Step up, and help support the community in which you live.