Through a collaborative effort from the seven members of Kent State Stark’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG), donation boxes were placed across campus in support of the annual holiday food drive.

The drive began the week of Thanksgiving and will continue throughout the rest of the fall semester. All proceeds are given to the food pantries on campus where students who would like to utilize it are able to receive up to 12 items per week.

“A lot of the donations we receive [in the donation boxes] are school supplies and wellness items,” senior human development family studies major Marcia Trouts said.

Kent Stark’s USG also donated twelve meals to students in need just in time for Thanksgiving, prior to Thanksgiving break.

The donated meals included canned and boxed goods, drinks and a $20 gift card. Students were able to win the meals through a free raffle process where tickets to enter were available in the food pantry. 

“Luckily, thank goodness, we were able to get everything together and were able to get enough donations to service everyone who entered the raffle,” said junior global studies and geography major Hailey Weaver. 

The raffle has been an annual event for the past few years where donation boxes are placed all over campus to distribute to students as well as the winners of the Thanksgiving raffles. 

“We recognize that it’s a big ask, but the campus community is so giving and so wonderful because professors and students already want to give back. It’s wonderful to have that,” Weaver said.

Despite only having seven members on USG, Trouts feels as if that number does not act as a hindrance to accomplish the initiatives they planned. 

“We have a great group and we’re all able to work well together. It’s like the perfect fit,” Trouts said.

For additional information regarding the food pantry or USG’s holiday food drive, visit https://www.kent.edu/stark/flashs-food-pantry?spotsearch=true.

Contact Lauryn Oglesby at [email protected].