The Single Stop program at North Campus collected more than 2,000 “Meals of Hope” packages to aid the victims of Hurricane Matthew, which devastated Haiti on Oct. 4, killing more than 800 people.
Among the items during the relief drive for the Caribbean country were rice and beans or macaroni and cheese, which are fortified with 21 different minerals and vitamins. Each box was made to feed four people.
Other products collected include hygiene supplies like bars of soap, razors, washcloths, deodorant, toothbrushes, medication like children’s Tylenol, Motrin, allergy medicines, cough and cold medicine, adult Tylenol and aspirin.
Donations were made between Oct. 10 through Nov. 2. The items were dropped off at the Student Life Office at North Campus and at the Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center.
“We are kind of like the vehicle,” said Barbara Pryor, the director of Single Stop. “And I think that our students are so great in the aspect that they just want to help and give back themselves, whatever the cause is. And what makes our community so great is that our students are also in need, not all of our students but a vast majority of our students are in need. Sixty seven percent of our students collegewide are considered low income and 46 percent of our students are below or at the poverty threshold but even with that our students have this wonderful spirit of giving and wanting to help. So quite naturally our students who were giving to the food pantry they are in need themselves and they saw the need and just with everything that was going on in Haiti, they wanted to help. Whether it was bringing an extra item for the Haiti relief fund and/or helping to back meals for Haiti, for the Haiti relief fund.”
Other campuses also donated to help Hurricane Matthew victims in the Caribbean. On Oct. 31 Kendall Campus hosted Spooky Night, a community event that included games and trick or treating for children. All the money raised was donated to the Haitian American Leadership Organization’s relief efforts.
