Sodexho Marriott Services joined forces with students and faculty members as part of an ongoing effort to fight hunger in the community.Through Sodexho Marriott’s “Caring Cans” program, students, faculty, and college staff members who donated canned goods on Tuesday, December 5, 2000, the first day of the can collection, received a free lunch at the college dining facility.
Over 100 people participated in the drive for cans.
“It is really cool how the entire campus, including off-campus students, came together for this project,” said Guilford sophomore Jill Burchell. The food was collected at Founders Hall up to December 15 and then donated to Second Harvest Regional Food Bank in Winston-Salem.
“Many American children face hunger this holiday season, but with the help from the staff and students here at Guilford College, we’re hoping to meet some of the need here in our own community,” said Martin Woodward, Sodexho Marriott Services general manager for dining services at Guilford College. “The success of the can collection is a tribute to the generosity of the Guilford College community.”
Fighting hunger is nothing new to Guilford College students. On November 20, 2000, 60 students joined Bonner Hunger Fellows for a Global Reality Banquet to learn first-hand what it’s like to be hungry.
Students were split into three groups to symbolize different socioeconomic levels. The first group was served luxury items, including steak and lobsters, served on fine china. The second group was fed all the rice and beans it could eat. Finally, the third group sat on the floor with only a portion of rice to eat, and were not provided with utensils. The banquet took place in the center of the main dining hall during the dinner hour so that other students could watch and also learn about hunger.
“I really like that we’re making a difference. We are forcing people to consider these issues and the Global Reality Banquet and Caring Cans project lets them do something about it,” said Eliza Bradley, a junior at Guilford College and a Bonner Hunger Fellow.