Scott Wilhite
Eagle Staff
The Northeast Texas Community College Student Government Association (SGA) and Communities in Schools (CIS) have joined together once again to host the annual campus-wide food drive.
The NTCC Food Drive, which will run through Dec. 11, is an outreach project designed to assist area families that have experienced financial hardships. The food will be distributed to the families before the campus closes for the Christmas holiday break.
NTCC Student Activities and Multicultural Affairs Director Rico Willis said the two groups have joined forces over the past few years with the purpose of identifying and assisting local families in need of help.
“SGA and CIS enter into a partnership annually to coordinate the food drive,” Willis said. “Our goal is to encourage members of our campus community to make donations that will benefit families in our local communities.”
Willis said this year’s goal is to collect at least 5,000 pounds of food to assist the families in need.
SGA President Dillon Gardner and the other SGA members will be emptying the donation containers as they fill up throughout the next month.
“I believe the can food drive is a great opportunity for the college to provide families with the food they need,” he said. “The families will be beyond grateful for the things they receive, and I am hoping we will overflow our bins with cans.”
In the past, over 500 families have been helped during the holidays thanks to the generosity of the NTCC campus community.
CIS Program Director Laura Lambert said the generosity of the NTCC family and the efforts of the SGA students have helped make the annual project a success.
“Words alone cannot stress CIS’s appreciation for the students who take the time out of their extremely busy schedules to help us in serving our local families,” Lambert said. “I am privileged to work in a place alongside such quality individuals who are so giving and compassionate that makes our outreach here so hugely successful.”
Anyone who wants to help can adopt a family by purchasing an $8 to $10 box of food or by donating individual canned goods or non-perishable items. Donation containers have been set up in the Administration Building and in the Student Union Building. Non-perishable food items (no glass containers please) can be dropped off at any time.
Items for the food boxes include stuffing mix, cold cereal, Oatmeal, pancake mix, dry rice, dry beans, canned meat, canned vegetables, canned fruit, canned pasta, stew, chili and hearty soup. The food box items should be placed in a small box or brown paper bag before being placed into the donation bins.
Willis said CIS identifies and provides the information and then arrangements are made to accommodate the needs of the families.
Willis said the annual food drive is another way that the NTCC campus is working to serve the needs of the local area.
“This is a campus-wide effort to take action against hunger and take the steps needed in order to make our community stronger,” Willis said.