Carnegie Mellon University's 31st Annual Food Drive, Sponsored by Staff Council

31st Annual Food Drive Results

On behalf of Staff Council, The Food Drive Committee, Honorary Chair Jim Garrett, and all of the team leaders, we want to THANK the entire campus community for your participation in our 31^st annual Food Drive.

Here are this year's impressive results:

• Total dollars raised online: $100,161.87
• Total lbs.: 1,597.75 (including can openers)
• Can Openers: 569, greatly exceeding goal of 350 (donated to our CMU Food Pantry)

Using the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank's formula to convert dollars to pounds and adding that figure to our cash total, our grand total raised this year is an incredible … $102,159.06!!!

Again, thank you to all — students, staff, faculty, alumni, and friends — who gave monetary contributions, can opener or other nonperishable donations, volunteered, or did both. Our drive is crucial to our friends at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the needy they serve in our community. We truly make a difference with our drive each year!

31st Annual Food Drive Campaign

For more than three decades, our Carnegie Mellon community has been showing care and concern for our neighbors in need of food in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Therefore, we are excited to embark on the 31st Anniversary of Carnegie Mellon's Annual Food Drive, organized and sponsored by Staff Council.

"Carnegie Mellon has always embraced a commitment to social responsibility in our community. Coming together to support the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is not only a chance to provide meals and resources but also to strengthen a bond between our campus and the community that sustains us. Each year, it is a delight to see our students, faculty and staff unite to make a meaningful difference in addressing food insecurity in our region." — Jim Garrett, Provost and Chief Academic Officer and Honorary Food Drive Chair

Again, the food drive is one important way the university demonstrates its commitment to the community and that commitment has grown exponentially over the years …

In 1994, we collected 1,355 lbs. of nonperishables for Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank as a result of our first drive. Back then, we couldn't have imagined how our drive would grow over the years and the unbelievable impact we would have on our neighbors in need. Since its inception, Carnegie Mellon has run one of the highest grossing food drives in the city of Pittsburgh. In fact, in the 30-year history of our drive, we've collected almost $517,000 and 79.7 tons of food! The university is motivated each year to keep our tradition of fighting hunger in the Pittsburgh area alive because we care about our neighbors.

Our goals for this year are as follows:

• $100,000 to support Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
• 350 can openers to be donated directly to the CMU Food Pantry
• other nonperishables for the GPCFB - with a special focus on peanut butter

Please be as generous as possible. Gifts of any size are important and appreciated. In fact, every $1 donated to the Food Bank can help provide up to three meals!

pittsburghfoodbank.org/cmu31

Please note this year's special event dates:

• Tuesday, 10/29 — Student Engagement Event: Tartan Tuesdays with Food Drive Focus from noon to 5 p.m., Alumni House
• Wednesday, 10/30 — Benefits & Fitness Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., CUC, 2nd Floor
• Thursday, 10/31 — Drive & Drop – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tepper Garage
• Tuesday, 11/05 — Student Engagement Event: Tartan Tuesdays with Food Drive Focus from noon to 5 p.m., Alumni House
• Thursday, 11/7 — Food Drive Fall Fest – from noon to 2 p.m., walkway outside of Merson Courtyard
• Monday, 11/11 — Drive & Drop – 1 to 3 p.m., East Campus Garage

Throughout the food drive, bring a 16 oz or larger jar of peanut butter to enter our Parking for Peanut Butter raffle! Each jar you bring counts as one entry and the winner will receive one month of free parking. You can participate at the Drive & Drop events and at the Fall Fest.

Alternatively, peanut butter donations can be dropped off at the Parking Office anytime, just inside the first floor of the East Campus Garage!

As chair of our annual drive, I am proud of what we have accomplished over the years. Star, Charlene and myself — along with our honorary chair, Provost Jim Garrett, and all of our food drive volunteers — thank you in advance for your continued generosity!

Carole Panno, Chair, Staff Council Food Drive Committee
Star Broadus, Co-Chair
Charlene Payne Parrish, Co-Chair

If you have any questions, please contact Carole Panno.