Thousands of people in the City of Syracuse face uncertainty over when and where their next meal will come from. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the poverty rate in the city in among the highest in the nation at 28.7%. To combat this, the Office of Community Engagement, Hendricks Chapel and the Salvation Army are teaming up to raise awareness around food insecurity next week with a special Thursday Morning Roundtable, a chapel event and a food drive at the football game.
Cydney Johnson, vice president of community engagement and government relations, invites not only the campus community, but also the broader Syracuse community to get involved. “You never know who might be struggling with food insecurity, which is why we hope to bring awareness to this issue by supporting the important and ongoing work that many are doing to combat hunger,” Johnson says.
Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry (Photo courtesy of Hendricks Chapel)
To kick off the events, on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 8 a.m., the Office of Community Engagement will host its Thursday Morning Roundtable, featuring guest speakers Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel, talking about the chapel’s on-campus food pantry, and Anne Bellows, professor of food studies in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, will discuss her research and work in food studies.
The next event on Friday, Sept. 8, will be hosted by the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry. From 10 a.m. until noon, the Food Pantry staff will host an open house to raise awareness about food insecurity, share about their work to serve students and receive donations from those seeking to contribute. The Food Pantry will also be open from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. to provide food for those experiencing food insecurity.
If you are unable to attend the open house but would still like to contribute to the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry, donations are accepted both at the food pantry and at a drop-off location in Bird Library.
Volunteers accept donations during the 2022 food drive. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Community Engagement)
Finally, on Saturday, Sept. 9, before the Syracuse Football team takes on Western Michigan at 3:30 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome, the Office of Community Engagement and the Salvation Army will host a food drive. Those planning on attending the game are asked to bring with them non-perishable foods to donate. The items that are needed the most include the following:
“The food pantry at The Salvation Army of Syracuse has been serving approximately 1,200 individuals each month, and the need continues to rise,” says Deanna Delmonico, public relations and donor relations manager. “Partnerships such as this one with Syracuse University are extremely important to bring awareness to this issue, and to help ensure that we can keep our shelves stocked and never have to turn away a hungry neighbor. We are so grateful to our community for helping us do the most good in Syracuse.”
There will be ten different drop-off locations strategically placed around campus and in several parking lots:
In addition to the food barrels, the Salvation Army will be on hand with red kettles accepting monetary donations. No cash? No problem! The Salvation Army also now offers a tap and go payment option to make donations.
Finally, during the halftime of the football game, J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, will be presenting Konkol; Kaleya Scott, engagement coordinator at Hendricks Chapel; and Leondra Tyler, student coordinator at Hendricks Chapel, with a certificate to recognize the hard work of the food pantry. Simultaneously, the video board in the JMA Wireless Dome will recognize additional community organizations working to combat food insecurity.
For questions about any of the events during this three-day period, contact Jake Losowski, community engagement coordinator, at jjlosows@syr.edu or 315.443.4137.
