Empty Bowls Food Drive targets hunger

The Sociology & Criminal Justice Society (SACS) is hosting the Empty Bowls Food Drive and Pet Food and Supplies Drive from now until the end of the fall semester.

This is the first food drive hosted by SACS, according to sociology graduate student and SACS President Cori Holden. She said the members of SACS want to get more involved in the community.

"It was kind of a collective effort," Holden said. "SACS has been an organization on campus for a while, but it hasn't been very active. Dr. Villlanueva-Russell took it over and we had elections, and I've decided I really want to make it really active and really focus on the community. We were trying to think of stuff we could be doing throughout the year."

SACS is asking people to bring non-perishable food and/or personal care items to one of the drop off areas, either in the Ferguson Social Science Building Room 210, the main lobby of the Morris Recreation Center, Whitley Hall or Prairie Crossing. The donated items will be given to two food pantries: First Presbyterian Church in Commerce and Fish Ministries in Greenville.

"We want to be able to get enough food to take it in and be proud of the stuff that we've raised," Holden said. "We want to take it into the food pantry and make a dent and make sure people are able to eat."

For the second half of Empty Bowls, SACS plans to donate pet supplies to an animal shelter in Wolfe City.

"We're donating to the one in Wolfe City, because they are a no-kill shelter," Holden said. "They really just need basic things, and I'd really like to be able to provide some of the things they need. So far, we have cat food and that's about it, but we want some blankets, cat litter, blankets, collars, and just some of the basic things the shelter needs."

Sociology graduate student and SACS Historian/Treasurer Amandah Norman asked the food drive to extend to pets as well.

"I just think sometimes they get overlooked," she said. "Every time I go to the shelter to pick up an animal, they're always asking for volunteers, whether it's to work there or just to volunteer their time or to give products."

SACS member and graduate student Chritina Gammon said giving to pets is just as important around the holidays as giving to families.

"It's important because pets are our best friends," she said. "They are hungry as well. If families aren't making enough money to feed themselves, then they're also not making enough money to feed pets, so you're just going to have a lot of hungry pets. That's not good either."

Villanueva-Russell said SACS members thought it was appropriate for them to host charity events such as this because of the area the students plan to work in.

"Several members felt that as social scientists, we had an obligation to not just learn about the inequalities in society, but to do our part in addressing and ameliorating them," she said. "Rather than just hosting social events, most of the students in SACS also wanted to give back, particularly to the Commerce community."