At the end of Fall Term, two donation options were made available to students to utilize their remaining culinary cash. Like in previous years, students were able to donate their culinary cash at the Café or in Kate’s Corner Store. This year, culinary cash donations were collected for the Student Food Pantry located in Sabin House and Pillars Homeless Shelter.
Although only 50% of the donated funds actually go to the organization due to some fixed costs, this donated culinary cash still translated into significant amounts of money. Pillars Homeless Shelter will be receiving $1,050 worth of gift cards, and the Food Pantry will receive $450 from the culinary cash donations.
This year, a new option was provided to students as well. Students were encouraged to buy non-perishable food items from the Corner Store in order to see their dollars actively translate into real food. The food was then donated directly to feed fellow Lawrentians at the Sabin House Food Pantry. Students donated roughly 30 pounds of food items to the pantry.
This additional option was aimed to involve students in more active forms of giving as well as provide an alternate option to the culinary cash donations which only result in half of the funds going to the organization.
In addition to students, the food drive was also advertised and incentivized to Bon Appetit employees. Bon Appetit employees donated approximately 260 pounds of food items just before being laid off for a month and a half. Despite their approaching unemployment, Bon Appetit employees made sure to stock the food pantry shelves for students.