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KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The holiday season is rapidly approaching, which typically means an uptick in both donations and overall need for food banks in the Kalamazoo community. While these donations are vital for easing the strain of the holidays, food insecurity exists year-round. With one in 12 students currently utilizing the 51������ Essential Needs food pantry for necessities, the everyday need is greater than ever.  

This year, the Student Financial Aid department decided to do something about that.   

While attending the 10th anniversary celebration of Essential Needs in September, associate director of Bronco Express Bonnie Ayers toured the food pantry and noticed the shelves were looking a little bare. According to Donielle Easlick, program manager for Essential Needs, this is not unusual. The month of October is historically a tough month for the food pantry as student need increases and donations begin to drop off. 

“It’s the half-way mark in the semester, so by this time students are either aware of our services and accessing them or they are starting to struggle financially and need us more than prior months,” Easlick explains. “This year, the pantry saw more visitors in the month of October than August and September combined.” 

Feeling devastated by the lack of available items in the pantry and conscious of the impending holiday season, Ayers walked away from the event determined to contribute. Along with Abbey Schram, assistant director of private loans, reconciliation and auditing, the pair launched a department food drive. Their naturally competitive spirits quickly shaped the event and turned it into an office-wide competition. 

“It just kind of rolled into place,” says Ayers. “We split everybody up in the office into teams under Team Abbey and Team Bonnie. Abbey did a lot of the work coordinating everything, and we had talks and there was friendly competition in the office, which gave everybody something to focus on besides work and to focus on a good cause.”  

The goal of the food drive, which ran from October 7 through October 31, was to donate between 1,000 and 2,000 items. Staff were encouraged to give what they could and Schram provided weekly counts of donations. As the numbers grew, so did the friendly banter between the two teams.  

The combination of competitive urgency and fun from the food drive resulted in one of the largest departmental donations the food pantry has ever received. At the end of the food drive, the two teams had collectively donated 5,700 items and 960 pounds of food and personal care items for the pantry. The department covered all the bases, collecting a wide assortment of canned and boxed goods, gluten and dairy-free items, fun snacks, toiletries and even pet food to help support 51������ students.  

And although Ayers’ team ultimately secured the office win with a whopping 3,390 donated items, both teams agree that the food pantry is the real winner.  

“I can honestly say that I have never been prouder of this office than I was during the month of October,” says Schram. “At the very end of our competition, Donielle came into one of our staff meetings to talk to our office about Essential Needs and how (staff) can get involved. I remember standing in the back of the room for that meeting and I’ve never seen our entire office more engaged and more interested than they were that day. There was an excitement about it. They were proud of themselves, each other, our office and the university for having this program for students.” 

The department is already fired up for next year's food drive and has officially committed to hosting the event every October. Until then, Ayers and Schram would love to see other departments join in the fun. The pair envision a future where every month of the year is covered by department donations from across the university and the pantry shelves are always stocked.  

“Whether you adopt a week or a month, by college or office ... if all of us do this just think of how much we could provide for our students on campus," says Ayers.  

Easlick notes that Student Financial Aid’s food drive gave the pantry a much needed boost during a period of critical need. It is also a perfect example of the meaningful change that can come from Broncos supporting Broncos. 

“When we come together as a University to support our students—that's when the magic happens,” she says. “It’s hard to ace a test on an empty stomach. It’s hard to fully engage in campus life when you’re worrying about your next meal. When other departments support the campus food pantry, I think it sends a message to everyone that we at 51������ want you to thrive in and out of the classroom ... it shows our students and our community that we are living out our values, and that we care.”  

Plans are already underway to support students experiencing food insecurity over the upcoming holiday recesses. This year, Essential Needs will host its inaugural “Hunger Doesn’t Take a Break” campaign to help students during the University closures. Donated funds and food items will be used to put together pre-assembled meal kits and winter recess bags that students can obtain before the break.  

“We rely on donations to make sure not only that our shelves are stocked, but to also provide us with the food needed to stock these holiday food bags,” says Easlick. 

Departments interested in hosting their own food drive or collecting funds throughout the year are encouraged to reach out to Donielle for marketing materials and a list of current high-need items.   

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