LSU Dining and Residential Life are giving students the opportunity to donate unwanted food before they go home for summer with their annual spring food drive.
Students can deposit unwanted food in collection barrels located at the front desks at most residential halls from Friday throuh May 17. The food will be donated to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.
“We’re happy to help because it is a convenient way for our residents to help the community,” said Catherine David, communications coordinator of Residential Life.
Food must be unopened and non-parishable.
LSU Dining has held the drive for more than 10 years, said Jeri McCullough, marketing director of LSU Dining.
LSU Dining usually collects about 2,000 pounds of food, McCullough said.
“A lot of students have unopened food and instead of taking it home, they can donate it,” McCullough said. “It’s a way to do good and lighten their load.”
Some students also leave unwanted clothing and furniture next to the barrels. McCullough said the Food Bank usually takes these items because they are affiliated with organizations such as O’Brian House, a Baton Rouge halfway house.
LSU Dining wants to officially include clothing and furniture next year, McCullough said.
Barrels will also be outside CC’s, the Atrium Cafe, the Mini-Mart, Outtakes, Take 5, Pierre’s Landing and the Copy & Mail Center.
Students often donate canned goods purchased with their leftover PAW Points at the end of the semester, McCullough said. She said four barrels were collected outside the Mini-Mart last year.
University Catering trucks will pick up donations May 17, the Monday after students leave residential halls.
Donating in spring is especially important, McCullough said.
Food banks and shelters receive larger donations in the fall because of the holiday season and receive fewer donations in the spring, McCullough said.
LSU Dining gives to the Food Bank at other times in the year. It made a sizeable donation to the Food Bank in fall 2009 with Project Clean Plate.
McCullough said LSU Dining also donated the 600-foot-long king cake intended for LSU Day to the Food Bank, which was originally planned for April 24.
Contact Joanna Zimmerman at [email protected]