Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

For Thanksgiving, Students Give More Than Thanks

Hoyas looking to lend a helping hand for the hungry have had plenty of opportunities on campus this week.

Several student groups, including the Georgetown chapter of the Knights of Columbus and Hoya Outreach Programs and Education, have been getting in the Thanksgiving spirit by collecting food to help the less fortunate in the nation’s capital.

Two sophomores decided to put the short week – and subsequent surplus of weekly meals for students on certain meal plans – to good use by collecting Grab-n-Go meals outside of O’Donovan Dining Hall. According to co-coordinators Roisin Pelley (SFS ’10) and Nicole Cronin (SFS ’10), their collection drive, which they called “Grab and Give,” hauled in 250 Grab-n-Go meals yesterday afternoon. Pelley even said that they had to stop collecting because they ran out of refrigerator space.

“Last week was Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week, and Nicole and I discussed this and how most students would have tons of leftover meals this week due to the Thanksgiving break. Then we just started the Facebook event, and lots of people responded well,” Pelley said.

According to the Facebook group “Grab and Give,” the meals will be donated today to people in parks around the District.

Alex Miller (COL ’08), Grand Knight of Georgetown’s chapter of the Knights of Columbus, said the Knights began a food drive with chapters from other universities in the District. Food collected during the week of Nov. 11 was given to the Foggy Bottom Food Pantry.

“The focus of the Foggy Bottom Food Pantry is to deliver food to any families that demonstrate need,” Miller said.

HOPE also collected food during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, which took place last week. The drive’s Co-coordinator Jonathan Cohn (COL ’10) said he hopes to have another food drive after Thanksgiving.

Unlike the Knights of Columbus, Cohn plans to store the food until February and then donate it to N Street Village, a non-profit organization that helps homeless and low-income women.

According to Cohn, donations are better utilized in this sort of drive than those given to food pantries during the holidays.

“It is not good to donate to a kitchen during this time of the year because everyone donates at this time and the pantries are overflowing with food but come February, they have nothing coming in,” Cohn said.

According to the Capital Interfaith Hospitality Network, there are more than 6,000 homeless people in D.C.

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