Although their football teams are facing off on the field in Glendale, Ariz., the University of Oregon and Auburn University will be trying to make the community a better place.
University presidents, alumni, students and fans of Oregon and Auburn are continuing the tradition of community service to help St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance in Phoenix, Ariz., by packing donated foods into food boxes.
The University first participated in a community service program for the host city of the Rose Bowl last year when it was approached by Ohio State and asked to contribute. The program had been implemented at Ohio State for the past 15 years, and the University hopes that fans and volunteers will be able to make community service part of the bowl game experience for Oregon fans as well.
“It is a great way to unite the students,” University junior Chelsea Van Baalen said.
The University’s Holden Leadership Center organized the event and invited Auburn to join. The Holden Leadership Center started in 2005 and was established to provide leadership and service opportunities to students and works closely with the Service Learning Program when coordinating community volunteers.
“There is a surge in donations over the holidays,” said Morgan St. Jean, coordinator of the Service Learning Program. “This is the perfect time to volunteer.”
When items are donated to the food bank, they need to be packed and organized before being distributed to the families receiving the food, which take volunteers and time.
To accomplish this, the University and Auburn are recruiting 100 volunteers each for this community service project.
“I would be surprised if we would not reach that goal,” said Deedie Dowdle, Auburn University spokesperson.
Lisa Fortin, assistant director of the Holden Leadership Center, said she fully expects the University will have enough volunteers.
Volunteers will also be joined by the band and cheerleaders from both schools in the service project.
St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance distributed more than 72 million pounds of food in the 2009-10 fiscal year, which is equal to 300,000 meals being distributed into the community each day.
St. Jean said the University counted more than 80,000 students from the University participated in a community service project last year and the students volunteered more than 280,000 hours of their time at a variety of fundraisers and community projects.
Auburn University also has a long history of volunteering and have taken their efforts to fight hunger global as it was chosen in the United Nations World Food Programme in 2004.
[email protected]
Title teams about more than trophies
Daily Emerald
January 5, 2011
0