Campus Dining campaigns all week to donate to Mobile Food Pantry

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More than 150 community members got their fill at a Campus Dining-sponsored food drive Saturday in Finch Fieldhouse for Mobile Food Pantry.

Mobile Food Pantry is a community program run by the Community Compassion Network, which Campus Dining recently partnered with to sponsor a monthy deliveries.

The campus community at residential and retail locations worked from Jan. 10 to 21 to try and raise $2,200 for the food truck, or about 12,000 to 15,000 pounds of food.

“This is a very great organization to get involved with,” said Bloomfield Hills senior Jasmine Crossland. “Community Compassion Network puts in a lot of time and effort for the families.”

CCN purchases food from the Mid-Michigan Regional Food Bank in Lansing twice a month to distribute to families in the Mount Pleasant community through affiliated churches and organizations.

A Mount Pleasant resident, who wished to withhold her name, said the Michigan Bridge Card is no longer enough to feed a family of five with the increasing price of groceries.

“Some of the repetitive volunteers remember you and give you other resources, like other places that can help us out,” she said.

Crossland said she felt blessed and lucky to volunteer.

“The outpour of love and gratitude from the families keeps me coming back,” she said.

It was the first time CMU alumnus Andy Curtis volunteered at the pantry. He said it is important for students to help community members when they can.

“A lot of people here are in bad situations and there is nothing they can do,” he said.
Real Food on Campus employee Sandra Bell said it was nice to see people give up their free time to vounteer for the event.

“We all have time but we may not have money,” she said.

The Mobile Food Pantry also served a hot pancake breakfast. Another Mount Pleasant resident, who also wished to remain anonymous, said it was a nice change of pace.

“At other pantries you have to go grab your cold breakfast,” the resident said. “You never know, it may not be sanitary.”

Mobile Food Pantry was the newest community service program added to Campus Dining’s 2010 platform, which also includes Big Brothers Big Sisters, Adopt a Family, Special Olympics and United Way.