Tobey Veenstra
The Broadside
Once again, Associated Students of Central Oregon Community College has started a Thanksgiving food drive to provide students in need with donated canned goods this year.
Along with fliers and food donation boxes, ASCOCC has collaborated with Central Oregon Community College’s financial aid department to help get the word out to students.
“We’re working with financial aid,” said Travis Peden, ASCOCC’s college relations coordinator. “[The financial aid department] will contact all the people on financial aid so that they know, ‘hey, you can apply’.”
Students on financial aid can apply by filling out a straightforward application, said Peden, which asks if they have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and reasons the food should be donated to them.
“That sounds really good,” said Bradley McLaws, a COCC student, about the project. “I probably won’t donate any … I live up in the dorms; I’ve pretty much got nothing. But it’s a pretty good idea.”
Other students also complimented the project and how it reminded them of when they were dependent on similar food donation projects.
“It’s nice. It’s a good deal,” said Debbie Gilmer, a COCC student. “What it makes me think of is hopefully I won’t need it this year … there’ve been moments in the past where I have needed help from programs like this.
“I probably need to find out more about where to donate the food … If I knew where a box was, that would be a more helpful reminder to bring the food the next day.”
Currently there are a few boxes set up around the campus, with more coming soon.
“On Oct. 1 we started putting boxes out,” said Peden. “There’s going to be one in each campus building … There’s even one at the Redmond campus.”
Last year many of the canned goods students donated were expired, said Peden, which was an inconvenience for the staff sorting through the goods.
“Hopefully people will be more mindful of that this year,” said Peden.
ASCOCC brought in over 1500 items and assisted 85 students and their families last year, according to the ASCOCC page on the COCC website.
“I think it’s going to be a really good turnout,” said Peden. “We’re hoping to get 150 students and their families food this year.”
You may contact Tobey Veenstra at tveenstra@cocc.edu
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