Project Feed Me raises $1,000 to feed the hungry of Syracuse

Carol Kim Masiclat
(315) 443-8568

This Nov. 22, while families across the region plan their menus and make shopping lists for their Thanksgiving feasts, SU students will be celebrating the holiday early with members of the Syracuse community.

Project Feed Me, a student-run group dedicated to addressing poverty and hunger in New York, will hold its first-ever Thanksgiving unity celebration from 1-6 p.m. at the Southwest Community Center, 401 South Ave., Syracuse. At the event, Project Feed Me volunteers will serve hot, nutritious meals to guests, provide entertainment, and share the spirit of the holidays.

The food being served at the event was purchased with $1,000 that Project Feed Me raised at its recent charity basketball tournament, “Defend Your Honor,” held Nov. 1 on the SU campus. At the tournament, teams competed for the top spot and donated their registration fees to support the Thanksgiving dinner event. The winning team, Team Lions, beat 12 other teams to be named champion.

“We are so proud of the success we had with ‘Defend Your Honor,’” says Patrick Alvarez, Project Feed Me president. “We had a great turnout, and though the competition got pretty intense we know that everyone who came out believes in our cause, and we are grateful for their support. We are incredibly excited for the Thanksgiving unity celebration later this month and hope more members of the SU community will join us for this very special day.”

Between 350-400 families from the Syracuse community are expected to attend the event. Project Feed Me welcomes volunteers from all areas of the University to attend the event. Various volunteer opportunities are available and include decoration/set up, greeting guests, serving food, entertaining guests and breakdown/cleanup.

“Having an event like this is a lot of work,” says Alvarez. “But the feeling you get helping people in this way is absolutely worth it. We started Project Feed Me because we knew that students here at SU want opportunities to make a difference. This is our way of showing the community our version of Scholarship in Action.”

Project Feed Me was founded last year by Alvarez and three of his classmates: Sam Giber, of Boston; Leah Moushey, of Pittsburgh; and Harris Feldman, of Needham, Mass. The four met as first-year students in Day Hall last year. For more information on Project Feed Me, visit http://projectfeedme.org.

For more information, or to volunteer, contact Carol Masiclat at clkim@syr.edu.