UVU, BYU unite to ease hunger in Utah Valley

Valley United Food Drive begins on campus

Cheyenn Clayburn | Staff Writer
Photo credit: Mike Richardson

The UVU and BYU student alumni associations have teamed up for the third annual Valley United Against Hunger Food Drive, which will run from Nov. 9-30. All of the funds and food collected from this drive will be donated to Community Action Services and Food Bank. The donations will then go to families in Utah Valley who are struggling. The funds will be divided between buying more food and helping sustain other programs that Community Action provides.

As part of the food drive, food packs will be assembled and given to 1,200 children in Utah, Wasatch and Summit counties to take home to eat over the weekend.

According to Community Action Services, 14 percent of Utah County residents currently live in poverty. This is more than any other county in Utah.

Last year’s food drive helped 7,559 households, including 6,397 children.

UVU’s goal for this year’s food drive is to raise at least $6,900.

“The money and food donations that come from the Valley United Food Drive are so important to the services we provide,” Grace Thomas, communication director of Community Action said. “We are relying heavily on this food drive this year because we are really running low on funds and food.”

Although donating food and money may seem difficult to many college students, Community Action says that for every $1 donated they can provide 15 pounds of food to those in need. This will feed a family of four for an entire day.

“The biggest benefit of this fund raiser is that it helps us to support our own neighbors,” president of the Student Alumni, Taylor Wilson said.

To kickoff this year’s drive, the student alumni put together the second annual “Scared for Good” haunted house. It was held at the Continuing Education 2 Building Oct. 28-30.

UVU and BYU will combine efforts Nov. 13 at the BYU vs. UVU basketball game. This game will be played at BYU and any student that donates will receive a free ticket to a BYU football game and a UVU basketball game.

“It is really cool to see both (school’s) alumni work to achieve the same goal,” Kevin Walkenhorst, assistant director of Alumni Relations said.

Another fundraising event that the UVU student alumni are putting together is a prescreening of the movie Mockingjay Part Two. This will take place Nov. 18. From every ticket purchased, $3 will go toward the food drive.

Students can also participate in the food drive by donating money at the donation stations that will be located at various places throughout the school, such as the art wall, Science Atrium and LA hallway. Donations can also be made online at www.uvu.edu/valleyunited, or students can deliver non-perishable foods to any of the 22 bins on campus.