GREENVILLE, Pa.—On Sunday, August 27, first-year students at Thiel College will be holding the fifth annual community food drive in the morning to benefit Greenville’s Good Shepherd and Salvation Army food pantries.
As a service-learning project, the new students will spend their first weekend in Greenville placing bags on porches to collect food for those in need with the goal of collecting more than 3,500 pounds of non-perishable food. On Tuesday morning, August 29, the same students will go back to pick up the bags of food from community members who wish to participate. In case of rain, the bags will be picked up Wednesday. Combined, Thiel College students have collected more than 17,000 pounds of food for the community since the first collection in 2018. If they top their goal, students will have collected 20,000 pounds of food.
Food banks have reported an average increase in demand of 65% according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and nearly 1 in 5 children in Mercer County experience food insecurity, according to FeedingAmerica.org. Rural communities make up 63% of counties in the United States and 91% of counties with the highest rates of overall food insecurity, according to data from FeedingAmerica.org.
The Good Shepherd and Salvation Army food pantries are looking for nonperishable food items such as canned foods and dry goods.
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.