The second annual Radford Gives Back (RGB) community service project is a campus-wide food drive for Bobcat Backpacks Program, which is a local non-profit community that helps feed over 115 Radford City students, led by President Brian O. Hemphill and Dr. Marisela Hemphill. These students can take home bags of food each weekend who may not have the ability to get another breakfast, lunch, or even dinner until school starts again on the following week.
Raise 17,000 Food Items!
Last year the Radford Gives Back program exceeded their goal of 10,000 donations by 4,000 items. This year their goal is to raise 17,000 food items! The event started Tuesday, October 24 from nine am – five pm and Wednesday, October 25 from nine am – 3:30 pm. More than 50 students have signed up for the event on Radford’s RU Involved website.
“Radford can make a difference. If everyone at Radford University donates two items of food, the goal would be achieved,” said in an email from Radford University. “Please rally the colleagues in your department, class or organization to collect items from the below list. Case portions are preferred.” The suggested food that (RGB) was looking for are listed here: chunky canned soup, canned ravioli, canned beans, canned vegetables, canned fruit, macaroni & cheese, applesauce (individual cups), popcorn, oatmeal (boxes of individual packets) and peanut butter (small jars).
Donations to Pack 300 Bags of Food
Donations were dropped off at the side door of Student Recreation and Wellness Center Multipurpose Activity Court (MAC). A ceremony was held Wednesday 25, 2017 at five pm in the MAC Court where volunteers used the donations to pack 300 bags of food. All the additional items were sent to the Presbyterian Church in Radford, where Bobcat Backpacks Program will pack enough bags to feed Radford City children for several months.
Radford’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) are the ones in charge with advertising this event through the campus to reach the goal of 17,000. The PRSSA “is the foremost organization for students interested in public relations and communications,” as stated my prssa.prsa.org website “We advocate rigorous academic standards for public relations education, the highest ethical principles, and diversity in the profession.”
“I love Bobcat Backpacks! Such a “rubber meets the road” way of helping Radford kids directly. Keep up the good work, Superstars,” Paul Pallante, on Bobcat Backpacks Program Facebook page, said. “I love volunteering with the Bobcat Backpacks to help meet the hunger needs of children in our community who might otherwise fall through the cracks. We have a great time supporting an even greater cause,” said Jenny Craigie Riffe, the co-founder of Bobcat Backpacks Program. “A lot of work and dear hearts drive this program. It is a treasure to our community, “Amanda Bush, community volunteer said.
For more information, updates, and pictures of the event go to Bobcat Backpacks Program Facebook page.
*This article originally published on The Tartan*
My original piece before going to the Tartan (I didn’t make this one pretty):
The second annual Radford Gives Back (RGB) community service project is a campus-wide food drive for Bobcat Backpacks Program, which is a local non-profit community that helps feed over 115 Radford City students, led by President Brian O. Hemphill and Dr. Marisela Hemphill.
These students can take home bags of food each weekend who may not have the ability to get another breakfast, lunch, or even dinner until school starts again on the following week.
Last year the (RGB) exceeded their goal of 10,000 donations by 4,000 items. This year their goal is to raise 17,000 food items!
The event started Tuesday, October 24 from 9 am – 5 pm and Wednesday, October 25 from 9 am – 3:30 pm. 50 plus students have signed up for the event on Radford’s RU Involved website.
“Radford can make a difference. If everyone at Radford University donates two items of food, the goal would be achieved,” said in an email from Radford University. “Please rally the colleagues in your department, class or organization to collect items from the below list. Case portions are preferred.”
The suggested food that (RGB) was looking for are listed here: chunky canned soup, canned ravioli, canned beans, canned vegetables, canned fruit, macaroni & cheese, applesauce (individual cups), popcorn, oatmeal (boxes of individual packets) and peanut butter (small jars).
Donations were dropped off at the side door of Student Recreation and Wellness Center Multipurpose Activity Court (MAC).
A ceremony was Wednesday 25, 5 pm in the MAC Court where volunteers packed 300 bags of food.
All the additional items were sent to the Presbyterian Church in Radford, where Bobcat Backpacks Program will pack enough bags to feed Radford City children for several months.
Radford’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) are the ones in charge with advertising this event through the campus to reach the goal of 17,000.
The PRSSA “is the foremost organization for students interested in public relations and communications,” as stated my prssa.prsa.org website “We advocate rigorous academic standards for public relations education, the highest ethical principles, and diversity in the profession.”
“I love Bobcat Backpacks! Such a “rubber meets the road” way of helping Radford kids directly. Keep up the good work, Superstars,” Paul Pallante, on Bobcat Backpacks Program Facebook page, said
“I love volunteering with the Bobcat Backpacks to help meet the hunger needs of children in our community who might otherwise fall through the cracks. We have a great time supporting an even greater cause,” said Jenny Craigie Riffe, the co-founder of Bobcat Backpacks Program.
“A lot of work and dear hearts drive this program. It is a treasure to our community, “Amanda Bush, community volunteer said.
For more information, updates, and pictures of the event go to Bobcat Backpacks Program Facebook page.
Dylan Lepore 