Utah County’s largest food drive, Valley United, spearheaded by students from BYU and UVU, launches Monday, Nov. 5
In 2017, Utah Valley residents raised $40,543 and donated 266,292 pounds of food for families in need during the Valley United drive. Now the 2018 drive is about to start.
Each year since 2012, Utah Valley and Brigham Young universities and joined forces to help local families in need. This year, Willy the Wolverine, Cosmo the Cougar and students from both schools kicked off the 2018 Valley United Drive. The two schools compete during the drive, which is the largest of its kind in Utah County. They’re vying to raise money and gather food donations for Community Action Services. All the funds raised and food donated stays in the community, benefiting families who use the Community Action food pantry in Provo.
“We’re so grateful for the generosity of the two universities, students and the community,” said Dave Smith, food bank manager for Community Action Services and Food Bank. “During this time of year, it’s important to keep our shelves stocked. We don’t want anyone going hungry, especially during the holidays.”
During the kick-off event on Oct. 26, Cosmo and Willy met families at Community Action Services in Provo. Then they walked through the food pantry with families as they whose what they needed for the week.
Though the mascots kicked off the drive, it doesn’t officially start until Monday, Nov 5. From then until Nov. 30, community members and students can donate online through a secure website. At BYU, people also can give money at the BYU bookstore, the Creameries, and the Cougareat. UVU also plans to have money donation locations. Each school also will have bins and barrels set up around campus for non-perishable food donations. To find a list of needed items, check the list here.
“We’re excited to see what happens during the drive this year,” Smith said.
Because of its leveraging power, Community Action Services can buy 15 pounds of food, or three meals, for each dollar donated. The food donated during the drive will stock the shelves of the food pantry that serves Utah County, where 13.3 percent of residents are food insecure. That means they don’t know where they’ll get their next meal. Last year, Community Action Services’s Provo pantry served 900 families each month.
Community Action Services and Food Bank has been helping people in Utah County since 1967. Its programs teach self-sufficiency skills to people living in poverty and help them overcome poverty. For more information about Community Action Services and Food Bank, go to communityactionuc.org.
