Students collect 700 pounds of food in a month for Daily Bread Food Bank

 

When a group of Barry students decided to tackle hunger as a social issue, they did so in a big way – to the tune of 714 pounds of food.

Students in the School of Social Work’s Introduction to Social Work class collected the food for the better part of a month (March 19 to April 14, 2009) as part of a service project for the class. The food was donated to North Miami’s Daily Bread Food Bank, taking five car loads to transport the more than 700 pounds of food.

The group, which consisted of 12 first-year students and sophomores, utilized several creative forms of fundraising to collect the money and food. In addition to promoting the drive to the Barry community, they passed out flyers to shoppers at local Publix supermarkets, asking them to purchase and donate items needed by the food bank. They also organized a fundraiser through the NBC show, “America’s Got Talent,” where they were paid $5 a head for their group to fill a live audience.

“The service project was a huge success, and the class realized what can be done when they put their mind and effort into giving,” said Jennifer Drazen, director of Barry’s bachelor of social work program. “It was eye opening to the students to see how many people cared about those who need help during these tough times.”

Please contact me if you need any additional information, or contact Carol Huffman, professor of social work, at (305) 899-3919.