Sustain Mizzou food drive helps all through Missouri

The drive will raise funds for Columbia homeless shelters.

By Heather Gray

Published Oct. 3, 2008

Students dressed as various foods worked all week to raise money for local fresh foods.

Sustain Mizzou sponsored the food drive from Sept. 29 through today. They were in front of Memorial Union and Brady Fountain from 1 to 3 p.m. every day.

"Our goal this year is to raise $3,000," said Samantha Wilkerson, Sustain Mizzou Food Drive Chairwoman. "We really want to help as many people as possible, and that's our main goal."

At the booth, there was a container to drop a donation and help the cause.

"Every single penny donated goes to purchasing fresh foods from farmers within 50 miles of Columbia," Wilkerson said.

The purchased food goes to the Central Missouri Food Bank and is distributed to whomever needs it most.

Junior Abby View donated this year.

"I grew up in Columbia and I've seen the families that have come in, and it really does help them out," she said.

Greeks Going Green also helped Sustain Mizzou by helping work the booth during the day.

"I am a member of the Human Environmental Science Student Council, and I helped out last year by boxing up food, so when the opportunity came to help out local farmers by raising money, I jumped at the chance," Sophomore Jillian Jacobitz, member of Gamma Phi Beta said.

This project is not just about raising money, Sustain Mizzou President Patrick Margherio said.

"We not only want to help the needy but also educate people about the travel costs of food and to encourage people to consider purchasing locally," he said.

He said there are many benefits from purchasing from local farmers that help take that step toward a clean and healthy earth.

"One specific benefit is supporting local business in general," Wilkerson said. "In difficult economic times, we definitely want to a stimulated economy here at home."

She said another benefit was the reduction of chemical emissions released if the food were purchased far away and transported to Missouri. This translates into less processed foods as well because preservatives do not need to be used as often to prevent food from spoiling during its travel time.

The first Sustain Mizzou food drive happened in 2004. Since then, Margherio said the group has held a food drive every year and raised a total of $10,684.22, not including the results from this year's food drive.