University employees are joining other state employees to fight hunger in Oregon. About 40 different departments are taking part in the annual Governor’s State Employees Food Drive, which started at the beginning of the month and runs through March 5.
The statewide drive, which is in its 25th year, is titled “Caring Now … Hunger Won’t Wait!” Donations collected at the University will be donated to local foodbank FOOD for Lane County.
“There is a great need in Lane County and in Oregon generally to feed the hungry,” said Office of Governmental Affairs Coordinator Karen Scheeland, who is organizing this year’s drive.
Scheeland said the University aims to collect 90,000 pounds of food. Last year the University had set a goal of 65,000 pounds, but donated 113,917 pounds.
Participants can collect nonperishable goods, donate cash, sign up for payroll deductions or raise money in other creative ways. For instance, Scheeland said her office has already sold more than 600 chocolate hearts as part of the fund-raising. Other departments are also selling the candy hearts for $2.
Some departments come up with interesting sub-themes to get the staff motivated. In the Human Resources and Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity departments, this year’s theme is R & B, which stands for Rhythm and Blues or Rice and Beans, according to Human Resources Benefits Coordinator Lisa Plumb.
“Frankly I think it’s really embarrassing that Oregon is known as the hungriest state in the nation,” Plumb said.
Last year 780,000 Oregonians ate meals from an emergency foodbox, according to the Governor’s food drive Web site, www.govfd.org.
Working with Human Resources Benefits Specialist Cindi Peterson, Plumb said the departments sent out invitations for the food drive kickoff shaped like old 45 records. She added that participants can contribute mainly rice and beans products or donate the equivalent of 45 pounds of food or $7.50.
One dollar can buy six pounds of food, according to FOOD for Lane County.
Since the drive began, the departments have already collected 2,646 pounds worth of
donations, surpassing last year’s total of 1,292 pounds, Plumb said.
In the School of Journalism and Communication, staff members have centered their efforts on a different food: Spam.
As part of its SPAM! Fest 2004 campaign to get donations for the drive, the department will host a “SPAM buffet” Monday, Feb. 16, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Leonard Aaron Lounge in Allen Hall, according to a press release.
The department’s Development and External Relations Program Assistant Libby Miskimins said at the buffet, which will mimic the show “Fear Factor,” people can sample Spam specialties, such as Spam cheesecake and possibly even Spam sorbet, in exchange for a dollar or canned food donation.
Miskimins said statistics on hunger in Lane County are shocking.
“It’s very likely that someone’s neighbor is hungry right now,” she said. She added that campaigns like the food drive help to create awareness on hunger issues and help people become more involved in the community.
“We need to reach out beyond the campus community and help the hungry and those in need,” she said.
“It’s a tremendous benefit,” FOOD for Lane County spokeswoman Dana Turell said. “Every year, the University of Oregon is the biggest contributor from the Governor’s food drive.”
She said the organization distributes about six million pounds of food a year and that about one in five people in the county request an emergency food box.
“With these donations we get from this food drive we can do that work,” she said.
Food donations are especially important now as foodbanks around the country, including FOOD for Lane County, report a decrease in donations, Turell said.
“At the same time we’ve seen an
increase in need,” she said.
Apart from the food drive, Turell said the University has been involved with the organization in other ways. For instance, the organization has many volunteers from the campus.
“We really feel that our partnership with the University of Oregon makes our work possible and we’re very appreciative of that,” she said.