Southwest Virginia Community College held its “Day of Service” on Tuesday, October 3, packaging 40,600 meals for local food pantries.
Approximately 225 volunteers from the college sorted, weighed, packaged, and boxed bulk food materials. Their efforts significantly increased from last year’s contributions of 30,000 meals. The meals packaged during this event were donated to local food pantries free of charge.
“We provide quality in-class instruction and out-of-class experiences for our students, but another form of education, in my opinion, is teaching civic engagement and responsibility,” said Dr. Tommy Wright, President at Southwest Virginia Community College.
Wright says creating and fostering community engagement and service was one of the cornerstones he wanted to build upon when he arrived as the college’s President in 2018.
Additionally, a portion of the meals was allocated to the college’s on-site “Food for Thought” food pantry, extending the reach of this initiative within the college community.
The hands-on volunteering event allowed the college community to rally together for a cause and a valuable learning experience.
“Seeing all of these students, faculty, and staff assisting in our mission means a lot. I hope it also means they will continue to serve outside of something organized like this,” said Wright.
Bulk food materials and packaging were provided by The Outreach Program, a 501 (c)(3) organization with a mission to provide safe water, medical care, food, and education to children and those in need, at home and abroad. Local food pantries picked up all the food at the college. These pantries will distribute food to people in need living in and around the college’s four-county service area of Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, and Tazewell counties.