NSU’s Health Professions Division and the Alvin Sherman Library are collected nonperishable food donations during September in recognition of national Hunger Action Month.
NSU participated in the Feeding South Florida campaign against hunger during its 30 ways in 30 days movement. Orange collection boxes are located in the Health Professions Division library and Alvin Sherman library.
Dana Thimons, reference librarian and student of the College of Pharmacy and College of Dental Medicine, said the food drive is an easy way for our students to give back to the community.
“It doesn’t cost a lot to buy peanut butter or a box of cereal for the ones who need it the most,” she said, “Last year alone, South Florida food drives comprised about 5 percent of the total food they distributed. This year they want to raise it to 10 percent.”
Feeding America, the largest domestic hunger-relief organization, established a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about the issue of hunger and take action to help end it. Feeding South Florida is one of 202 food banks comprising the Feeding America network.
Thimons said South Florida will benefit greatly from NSU food donors.
“Florida is ranked the 12th state in the United States for food insecurity. NSU is trying to do everything we can to help change this statistic.” she said.
Aside from donating perishable food items, students and faculty donated through local restaurants as well. The Cheesecake Factory, Tsukuro and Burger 21 also participated in Hunger Action Month.
The Cheesecake Factory donated 25 cents per slice of their Lemon Meringue Cheesecake to Feeding America and its local food bank affiliates. Tsukuro took 4 percent of the total check and donate it to Feeding South Florida. Burger 21 in Davie donated 10 percent of proceeds from all their sales on Sept. 21 and ran a canned food drive at their restaurant until Sept. 25.
Feeding South Florida serves children, older adults, the working poor and the homeless. However, their main concern is aiding hungry school children. Some of its programs include the afterschool snack program, backpack program and meals for minds.
Approximately 1,350 children don’t eat between Friday’s school lunch and Monday’s school breakfast. The backpack program gives each child a backpack that includes two breakfasts, two snacks, two lunches and two dinners for the weekend. All food is shelf-stable, kid-friendly and part of a well-balanced diet and fits perfectly into the child’s backpack.
Thimons encourages the NSU community to contribute to the program.
“The food item you donate can end up in a child’s backpack and keep them from going to bed hungry, I can’t think of a better feeling than this,” she said.
Thimons is grateful for the generous donations from NSU’s student and faculty, but hopes to continue the ongoing support.
“Our students, faculty and staff are all extremely generous, so we have already collected quite a bit of food. But of course, the more we can collect to help the people of South Florida, the better,” she said.
For more information about NSU’s act against hunger, contact Thimons at dthimons@nova.edu. To learn more about Feeding South Florida, visit feedingsouthflorida.org.
