ANNE RITZ
Staff Writer
With the holidays quickly approaching, it’s the time of year when many think of what they can give back. From Wednesday, Nov. 7 to Friday, Nov. 9, Operation Breakfast Rescue will be collecting breakfast food items for families in need.
The food drive is sponsored by Joyce Smith of Volunteer & Community Services along with Reed Library and Delta Chi as co-sponsors.
This is the ninth Operation Breakfast Rescue and all donations go to Chautauqua Rural Ministries. Rural Ministries is a United Way, grass roots, advocacy agency that serves improvised families and it also meets the needs of the homeless, the working poor and the disenfranchised in Chautauqua County.
Due to more effecitively meeting the needs of the community, the event grew from annual to once every semester.
Joyce Smith explained that these drives have been very successful in raising donations. “This past year there was about over 400 pounds of food,” she explained.
Operation Breakfast Rescue looks for shelf stable food items like cereal, pancake mix, oatmeal, cream of wheat, breakfast bars, coffee and baby formula. “We always look at what the needs are. These are on going needs,” said Smith. “I also get the campus involved; I ask for donations from faculty, staff, students and people in the community.”
The donations from the drive have greatly helped Chautauqua Rural Ministries, as well as the community. “It’s helping those that are in need. The agency was very grateful for that,” Smith explained.
Smith has been working with Kathleen Peterson, director of Chautauqua Rural Ministries to help the community.
“It’s so important to build partnerships, sustainable partnerships. I’ve been partnering [Chautauqua Rural Ministries] with the last nine years. That’s always important to have that consistency that’s there,” she said. “This past year, I know that it helped over several hundred families. It’s so important as far as making a difference. In the impact is very positive, and students are providing a positive impact on the community.”
Students and faculty members have become very involved to help out with the Operation Breakfast Rescue. Smith explained that boxes are donated by custodial services to collect food and other organizations such as residence halls and sports teams contribute large donations.
International student Chae Rin Kim became very and involved and volunteered to help in Operation Breakfast Rescue. “I was surprised that many people are participated in the Operation Breakfast Rescue,” she said.
“When I was young, I thought I am a really happy person. So when I became an adult, I hoped to do volunteer for other people. I wanted to share my happiness to people,” Kim explained.
Smith finds it important for students to get involved in the community. “I think it’s important for people to hear the positives of what students do and how they give back. Sometimes you just hear the negatives.” Donations can be dropped off Wednesday, Nov. 7 and Thursday, Nov. 8 in the Reed Library all day. On Friday, Nov. 9, donations can be dropped off in the Williams Center Room G-103C from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.