UVU and BYU are fighting together to stop hunger
Rinamay Rhoten | Staff Writer |@rinamaylopez
The Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University Alumni Associations are joining together throughout the month of November to have a food drive once again. The food will help families in need all across Utah. All the donations will be given to Community Action Services & Food Bank’s annual food drive and giving campaign, Valley United Against Hunger. The donations will be accepted through cans in donations and online donations. This is the third year in a row that the two universities are combining for this cause, and this year they are hoping to have more success than ever before.
Community Action and Services food bank is an organization that helps those in need with basic needs, food and shelter. In 2011 they reported that 2,100 families received monthly supplied of food through the food bank. The ultimate goal of the program is to help individuals find long term-solutions.
“We are amazed and gratified to see the community unite each year to help the needy in Utah County. It’s wonderful to see how much good we can accomplish when [the] two universities unite for this cause” said Jeri Allphin, director of the UVU Alumni Association.
The two universities are helping fill the food banks especially for the holiday season. In an attempt to meet their goal to top last year’s earnings of $27,375, they started working earlier this year. For Halloween, the Student Alumni Association hosted a haunted house – the Scared for Good haunted house. The alumni rely on both the support from BYU and UVU among several local businesses.
According to Community Action Services and Food Bank, the poverty in Utah is 13 percent, and one in every six children goes to bed hungry. For every dollar that is donated, five people are helped. Not many students are aware of how much a dollar can help a family in need. Donation cards where students can donate and write their name are available at UVU. United Way is also making it possible for students to donate through credit and debit cards.
The alumni association has been working hard to help others. UVU has proven how charitable it can be to our society, and alumni are hoping that this year will be no different.