Thiel College first-year students, faculty and staff members team to collect three tons of food

Posted August 27, 2021 Print

GREENVILLE, Pa.-- Thiel College’s third annual community service and learning project for first-year students collected and distributed three-plus tons of non-perishable food items for food pantries at the Good Shepherd and the Salvation Army, school officials announced Friday.

The 6,000 pounds of items exceeds the 2019 total and met this year’s goal. In 2019, food drive organizers were targeting 4,400 pounds of items to match one pound per child in Mercer County who was identified as struggling with food insecurity, according to Feeding America, a national non-profit hunger-relief organization. In its first year, the project collected 3,000 pounds of food for the Good Shepherd Food Pantry in Greenville. All told, the project has collected 13,500 pounds of food across three years.

The first-year students dropped off donation bags at homes throughout the Greenville community on Aug. 22 with a list of suggested non-perishable items for collection. Students returned to those homes to collect the filled bags on Aug. 24.

Associate Academic Dean for Student Success and Professor of Neuroscience Greg Q. Butcher, Ph.D. and Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Anthony E. Jones, Ed.D. were joined by Dillon Belknap ’25, Hannah Uschock ’22, Greenville native Ryan Harcourt ’25, and students from the class men’s soccer coach Zack Walters is teaching to help load nearly three tons of food onto the trucks Wednesday morning.

“This food drive would not have been possible without our first-year students and advisors; and the generosity of Greenville area residents,” Butcher said. “I am very grateful for everyone’s support of this project.”