NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University students are turning Homecoming competition into service through a campus food drive benefiting the NSU Food Pantry.
Student organizations participating in Homecoming can earn points toward the overall competition through opening ceremonies, lip sync, fun run, food drive, banner, flag and float competitions. Points earned through each activity contribute to an organization’s overall Homecoming score.
Ellie Hardy of Haughton, a senior and student coordinator of the NSU Food Pantry, said the competition encourages organizations to give back while celebrating Homecoming.
“They have an overall competition so they can compete in lip sync, banner, things like that and the homecoming food drive counts towards that,” Hardy said.
The NSU Food Pantry currently serves approximately 115 students per week, an increase from the 80 to 90 students it served weekly last semester.
Donations collected during the Homecoming food drive are placed directly on the pantry’s shelves, where students can access food and other necessities during weekly visits.
“It helps support our students who just need or want a little more help,” Hardy said. “They can come in once a week and they can get the stuff that’s been donated directly from the food drive and put on the shelves for them.”
“It is so easy to serve, and doing it during homecoming shows just how easy and how fun it can be,” Hardy said.
The Food Pantry is currently seeking donations of personal care products, canned meats, other protein sources and household items. Donations can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to noon Friday. A gray drop box outside the pantry is also available for donations when the facility is closed.