In an impressive display of camaraderie that went beyond the football field, the Brigham Young University's sponsored group, linked with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sent a hefty contribution to combat food insecurity at the University of Cincinnati, this gracious act serves a greater purpose than just cross-conference generosity, it's an acknowledgment of the shared struggles college students face across the nation.
On the preceding Friday, more than 27,000 pounds of food arrived at the UC Uptown campus, an event which saw BYU volunteers unite with UC staff to organize the pantry, it was punctuated by a group effort to distribute the goods to the Bearcats Pantry and Resource Center, the timing juxtaposed with the electric weekend game drew eyes beyond those of sports fans with coverage by multiple journalists from Spectrum News, WLWT, WCPO, Fox 19, and the Salt Lake City-based Deseret News, according to UC News.
"I haven't had a donation like this from any kind of organization. Receiving this from a Big 12 community member, a conference member, is really moving," Daniel Cummins, associate dean of students at the University of Cincinnati, told the Deseret News, according to UC News. The burden of hunger amongst students is an issue that isn't confined to a single institution; the College University Food Bank Association (CUFBA) reports an alarming 30% of college students battle with food insecurity, and 17% face housing challenges.
The collaborative effort, as it seems, expands beyond the mere act of food donation, as Jim Wilson, chair of the BYU Alumni Cincinnati Chapter, remarked on the group's consistent engagement in community service, the service they perform reflect a spirit of contribution that stretches into various realms, including setting up a coat collection drive for local schoolchildren as a precursor to their athletic engagements, which on this occasion netted hundreds of coats for the Cincinnati NAACP Winter Coat Drive, he said "When we come to a campus like this we don’t just come and have a party, but we try to leave the community a lot better than we found it," as he conveyed to the Deseret News, according to UC News.
