Extra food plan funds can go to help U.S. troops

Alison Turner

Program to help deliver goodies to soldiers overseas

Have extra money on your meal plan? Want to send some comfort to soldiers overseas?

Iraqi Feed ‘Em is a food drive that is sending food items to troops.

The program is in collaboration with Clark/Allyn Hall Council and the United Service Organization of Northeast Ohio.

There are marked boxes for the donations in each of the grocery markets on campus: the Eastway Market, Rosie’s Rations in Tri-Towers, The Cookie Jar Convenience Store in Stewart and Munchie’s Convenience Store in Prentice.

Volunteers are needed to collect the food on Fridays and transport the food to the USO office in Akron on Wednesdays. The USO office sends the donations directly to the troops.

Lindsey Barbati, sophomore hospitality management major, is the Kent Interhall Council representative for Clark/Allyn Hall Council and organized the program along with Chelsey Peyton, sophomore art education major.

“We want to send over the more fun stuff for the soldiers,” Barbati said. “We want to do something different by sending over some comfort food.”

Popular items that have been donated are cookies, applesauce and fruit cups.

Campus organizations and local businesses are also encouraged to donate to the fund by supplying magazines, books, DVDs and CDs.

Hand sanitizer, lotion and chapstick are also on the list of items needed.

The non-food items will be sealed in plastic bags before being sent over, so the donations must be an appropriate size.

The USO will send a personal package to a specific soldier if requested with letters and pictures.

“We’re basically just looking for items that remind soldiers of home,” Peyton said.

The food boxes will be available until May 11.

To find out how to help, e-mail Barbati at [email protected] or Peyton at [email protected].

Contact room and board reporter Alison Turner at [email protected].