Nov. 7, 2011 – Conferences may change, game dates may move, but the Utah-BYU rivalry is still going strong, and it will play out again this year when both schools collect food and donations to support the Utah Food Bank in the annual Utah vs. BYU Food Drive. The University of Utah Alumni Association’s food drive runs Nov. 12 – 25, with collection spots on campus, in local grocery stores, at the Utah Food Bank and at Rice-Eccles Stadium when Utah plays Colorado on Nov. 25 during the last Pac-12 football game of the season.
The results of the food drive will be announced in early December. Utah organizers say they expect a big effort from BYU in the food drive this year after the disappointing loss in September to the Utah football team, but they are sure that U fans will meet that effort with their own fervor.
In addition to the food drive, efforts to raise hunger awareness are happening all over campus during the month of November. The U’s College of Social Work has challenged community members and faculty to take part in the Utah Food Stamp Challenge Nov. 8-14, and the Lowell Bennion Community Service Center will host its annual Hunger Banquet on Nov. 22. Proceeds from the banquet go toward supporting the food drive. Full details about the food drive, food stamp challenge and banquet are below.
Utah vs. BYU Food Drive: Nov. 12-25
The Student Alumni Board of the U Alumni Association, The MUSS Board, the Associated Students of the University of Utah (ASUU) and volunteers call upon community members to join in the effort to fight hunger in Utah.
During Nov. 12 – 25 donations of canned or other nonperishable food may be made at the following locations:
- On the U campus
- Alumni House: 155 S. Central Campus Drive
- LDS Institute of Religion: 1780 E. South Campus Drive
- Bennion Community Service Center: 200 S. Central Campus Drive, Room 101
- College of Social Work: 395 S. 1500 East
- Outside Rice-Eccles Stadium before the Utah v. Colorado game on Friday, Nov. 25
- At Utah Food Bank: 3150 S. 900 West, Salt Lake City
Please ask that the donation be counted for the University of Utah Food Drive.
Additionally, during Nov. 21-23 from 3-9 p.m., volunteers will collect food and monetary contributions at nine area grocery stores:
- Dan’s Foods: 1360 Foothill Drive and 3981 Wasatch Blvd.
- Smith’s Food & Drug: 3215 E. Valley St. (approx. 3300 S.); 876 E. 800 S.; 455 E. 500 S.; and 402 6th Ave. locations
- Harmons Emigration Market: 1706 E. 1300 South
- Fresh Market: 2300 E. 2040 S. and 900 E. 1638 S. locations
Throughout the food drive, monetary contributions can be made at the following:
- On the U Alumni Association website: www.alumni.utah.edu
- By cash or check in person at the Alumni House on the U campus: 155 S. Central Campus Drive
- By purchasing a Block U at Utah Red Zone stores or at any Gold’s Gym location
- Outside Rice-Eccles Stadium before the Colorado vs. Utah football game on Friday, Nov. 25
Utah Food Stamp Challenge: Nov. 8-14
The U College of Social Work has partnered with Utahns Against Hunger to challenge the community to experience what it’s like to rely on a food stamp budget for a full week, Nov. 8-14. More than 293,000 Utahns use food stamps to feed their families, and the average allowance they get is a daily budget of $4 per person – roughly $1.33 per meal. Anyone interested in participating can sign up on the Utahns Against Hunger website, www.uah.org, where they can share their experience and hear from others who have taken on the challenge.
Dean Jannah Mather of the College of Social Work has committed to this challenge, as has Katie Hunt, a Ph.D. student in the U’s Department of Communication, and the students in her communication and social responsibility course.
All participants will have a daily food budget of $4 per person, or $28 per week. Food purchased and consumed during the challenge week, including any dining out, is included in the total food spending. All food and beverages for the week must come from the participant’s food stamp budget – they cannot eat food they already own or procure free food from friends, relatives, colleagues, etc. Participants are asked to keep a log of their spending, the kinds of foods they are eating and the foods they are able – or unable – to buy.
On Nov. 15 at noon, the public and challenge participants are invited to attend a special session of the college’s Social Soup Lecture Series, where Gina Cornia, executive director of Utahns Against Hunger, will moderate a session focused on the experiences and lessons learned from the seven-day challenge.
The Social Soup lecture will take place in the Community Meeting Room (No. 155), in the Wilford W. and Dorothy P. Goodwill Humanitarian Building on the U campus (395 South 1500 East). The event is free and open to the public. At each of the Social Soup lectures, fresh vegetarian soup with ingredients from the University of Utah’s Edible Campus Garden will be served to attendees. Social Soup is a monthly lecture focused on social, economic and environmental issues surrounding food. More information can be found at http://www.socwk.utah.edu/pdf/FoodStampChallengeNov2011.pdf.
Hunger Banquet: Nov. 22, 6 p.m.
$5 or five cans of food per person (donations support the U food drive)
Saltair Room, Union Building, 200 S. Central Campus Drive
The Lowell Bennion Community Service Center, in cooperation with the University Service Corps, invites the community to attend the annual Hunger Banquet on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m.
Every day 63,000 people in Utah eat dinner at a soup kitchen. In an effort to better understand this local issue, this family-friendly event will focus on exploring hunger in Utah. Representatives from various community organizations will provide information about volunteer opportunities during the holiday season. Musicians Peter Breinholt and Steve Nelson will perform, and community advocate Pamela Atkinson will speak. Artwork from a student art competition inspired by international poverty will be on display and a winner will be selected.
Soup and bread will be served. Tickets are available online at http://bennioncenter.org/, or at the door.