Thiel College first-year student food drive tops 10 tons collected with 2023 event

GREENVILLE, Pa.—The Thiel College first-year student food drive collected 3,675 pounds of food this year bringing the total collected to just over 10 tons since the event's inception in 2018.

As a service-learning project, new students 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 returned to pick up the bags of food from community members who left donations outside their home. Last year students gathered 3,562.5 pounds of food. Combined, Thiel College students have collected more than 20,675 pounds of food for the community. 

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 donations are turned over to the Good Shepherd and Salvation Army food pantries.

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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.