FALL SEMESTER FOOD DRIVE
By Margaret McCann
Dr. Blake’s Soc-252 class is currently running a food drive to benefit members of the Chester community who are in need. The food drive started on September 20th and will run until October 29th.
According to the USDA, or United States Department of Agriculture, in 2020 10.9% of households in the United States were reported to be food insecure. While at a glance this may seem like a somewhat small percentage, this number rounds out to a staggering 13.8 million people in need of a secure food source. Not only that, but according to the Soc-252 class, approximately 38-45% of college students are also food insecure, with 10% having reported that they have gone an entire day without eating any food. As a service-based learning program focusing on key issues such as food and water access, the Soc-252 class wants to raise awareness to this problem and contribute to a solution with this food drive. In the words of Dr. Blake, “The food drive was a great way to do this, as donations will be split between the Widener Campus Food Pantry and Chester Eastside.”
The class is gratefully accepting any and all non-perishable food items such as canned and boxed food items. Donations can be left at any of three drop off locations around campus:
-The lobby of Kirkbride Hall
-The Pride Recreation Center
-The circulation desk at Wolfgram Memorial Library
Each location contains a marked drop off box where donations can be left. Any and all contributions are appreciated. Not only is this project a force of good for the Widener and Chester community, but it is also great for the students of the Soc-252 class. When asked how she felt about the food drive and the efforts of her class, student Lys-Julienne Clarke replied “I feel as if we’ll be making a genuine contribution to society”. There is no doubt that the Widener community is proud of theSoc-252 class and is eagerly waiting to see what they may have in store. Any questions related to the food drive and/or future projects may be directed to Dr. Blake atseblake@widener.edu