Skip to Main Content

Colleges at Purdue join virtual food drive to support Food Finders

Over the past nine years Purdue University’s College of Agriculture has collected a total of 319,438 pounds of food to donate to Food Finders Food Bank during its annual food drive. This year’s food drive will look a little different, as the majority of faculty, students and staff are working and studying remotely due to the COVID-19 virus.

Instead of gathering food donations, the college will collect monetary contributions online. The College of Agriculture is joined in the food drive by seven other major academic units — Purdue Libraries; School of Information Studies; the colleges of Engineering, Health and Human Sciences, Pharmacy, Science and Veterinary Medicine; the Honors College; and Polytechnic Institute.          

“Never has it been more important to ensure that our community is strong, healthy and secure, and that means making sure everyone has access to food,” said Karen Plaut, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. “Food Finders serves 16 counties, including Tippecanoe County, and our colleges can play a critical role in providing this vital resource to Hoosiers.”

The virtual food drive will run through April 17. All of the money raised will go directly to Food Finders. According to Food Finders, every dollar donated translates into roughly three meals and $25 provides approximately 75 meals. Melissa Funk, administrative assistant in Agriculture’s Office of Multicultural Programs, has organized the food drive over the past several years, including this year’s virtual drive. People are looking for ways to help right now while still maintaining social distancing, Funk said, and this is a great option to aid the community directly.

One in eight people in North Central Indiana suffers from food insecurity. With unemployment on the rise throughout the state and country due to COVID-19, those numbers are likely to rise.

Corn sold at a local farmers market. (Tom Campbell for the College of Agriculture, 2016.) Corn sold at a local farmers market. (Tom Campbell for the College of Agriculture, 2016.)

Featured Stories

Bryan Pijanoski with sound equipment
The sound of the world

It’s summer, but Bryan Pijanowski is as busy as ever. He’s working on several grant...

Read More
ag econ
Trey Malone named as Boehlje Chair in Managerial Economics for Agribusiness

“A business newspaper published an interview with me a few years ago titled, ‘Ag...

Read More
Purdue College of Agriculture.
Virtual Tour Brings Forest Management for the Birds to Life

How does forest management affect wildlife, specifically birds? Which birds prefer which types of...

Read More
Students on the Sweden study abroad trip stand in front of a church
FNR Field Reports: Lucas Cacula Offers Week 2 Update from Sweden Study Abroad Program

Throughout the 2024 Sustainable Natural Resources study abroad course in Sweden, FNR...

Read More
Wilford tends to Gracie the cow.
Fields of Discovery: From track to trough— leaping into research

This summer, Rieko Wilford is making big leaps researching methane emissions; on the track,...

Read More
Linda Prokopy
Horticulture and Landscape Architecture department head honored by Conservation Technology Information Center

Linda Prokopy, department head and professor of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue...

Read More
To Top