UCO students gathered at the Regional Food Bank in south Oklahoma City Monday to help pack several tons of food for families in need. The event was part of the Volunteer and Service Learning Center’s observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
“We’re still counting our numbers, but we had at least 50 people sign up for this volunteer site,” Commuter Student Services Coordinator Rachel Parks said. “I know there were 15 over at Infant Crisis Services.”
According to Jamie Treadaway from the Food Bank, UCO, along with Americorps, packed 30,774 pounds of food. That amount is equivalent to 23,672 meals.
Students were divided up into several groups. Some helped sort and pack snack foods, others loaded canned goods into boxes and still others stuffed hundreds of pounds of spinach into plastic bags for distribution. They were responsible for making sure the towers of Chips Ahoy boxes and pallets of canned corn left the facility safely.
Catherine Horton, a freshman English major, was assigned to the spinach-packing section. She packed hundreds of two-pound bags of spinach during her stint.
“I don’t know for sure but I think they’re just keeping it for families and I think they send it off to different food banks across the state,” she said.
Some students were in attendance to fulfill obligations with their fraternities and sororities.
“I’m in Gamma Beta Phi, and we, you know, we have to get so many hours a semester for community service,” Emily Weeks, senior dance major, said. “Just ever since I was a freshman, I’ve just been doing community service on Martin Luther King service day, and I just try to help out as much as I can for people who are less fortunate.”
Weeks was part of the group packing boxed food.
“I think we did three pallets in the first half, and then when we switched over after the break, we did about two or three pallets of crackers,” she said.
Beth Adele, director of Career Services at UCO, was also present, packing food alongside students.
“This is a day I always look forward to, to be able to give to those who can’t currently help themselves,” Adele said. “It’s wonderful to see UCO exemplify the spirit of Martin Luther King on the national day of service.”
The event was put on by the VSLC in conjunction with Commuter Student Services.
According to Parks, the next volunteer opportunity will be the Big Event around the first week of March, and Commuter Student Services will be hosting a two-day alternative spring break at the Infant Crisis Services center in Oklahoma City.