As part of their New Student Days orientation, first-year Hastings College students will collect non-perishable food, hygiene and household items from Hastings residents for the Adams County Food Pantry on Saturday, August 23 between 9-11 a.m.
All items will be collected at the College’s Physical Fitness Facility (903 E. 9th Street), weighed and delivered to the Adams County Food Pantry in upcoming weeks. The goal is to donate 8,000 lbs. of items to the pantry.
Implementing a community service project has been integral to HC’s orientation activities for many years. For all students to focus on assisting with a single organization is unusual but ties to the theme of food which students will explore throughout the year in first-year courses and the annual campus-wide Artist Lecture Series.
Additionally, students of all ages have helped lay the foundation for the service project. Earlier this month, members of the Hastings College Bronco Football, Volleyball, Men’s Soccer and Women’s Soccer teams distributed nearly 8,500 plastic bags to households in the city of Hastings. Among the instructions: fill the bags filled with items and leave them on doorsteps or porches for Saturday’s pick up.
Any Hastings resident who did not receive a bag or whose bag is not picked up on Saturday may contact the Hastings College Office of Student Affairs at 402.461.7305 between 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on August 23. Donations may go directly to the Adams County Food Pantry Office (918 W. 4th St., Suite 100).
Non-perishable food, hygiene and household items the pantry will accept include the following:
- Peanut Butter
- Jelly
- Spaghetti
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Potatoes—Boxed and Instant
- Cereal
- Jell-0
- Hamburger Helper
- Tuna Helper
- Ramen Noodles
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Crackers
- Soup
- Canned Fruit
- Canned Vegetables
- Pancake Mix
- Syrup
- Tuna
- Dish Soap
- Bath Soap
- Toilet Tissue
- Shampoo
The pantry, which serves an average 187 people per month, including 72 children, asks donors to check expiration dates. The organization cannot accept expired items.
