ROTC and Veterans Resources Center host food drive on campus

From now until April 29, the Minnesota State University, Mankato Veterans Resource Center and Army ROTC are putting on a campus food drive. This food drive will allow the two organizations to give back to the Mankato community in a beneficial way.

“We’re collecting food for the ECHO food shelf. There’s a box outside our [Veterans Resource Center] office and we’re collecting all the food in there. At the end of the drive we’re just going to take down as much as we collect,” Tim Adams, Military and Veteran Success Coordinator at MSU, explained. “The purpose is to raise awareness of people with food insecurity.”

The ECHO Food Shelf in Mankato, located on South Front St., offers various food supply programs for people in Mankato to take advantage of. With programs such as ECHO Delivers, Folate and Formula, and Multivist, there is something for everyone to utilize as they need.

Coming up with the idea of the food drive was an easy decision for the two MSU organizations, as each one wants to give back to the community in any way they can.

“Part of our mission isn’ t just military and ROTC veterans’ things, it’s being a good neighbor and helping out those in the community that need it,” Adams stated. He also pointed out that there is no donation goal they have set, they just want to donate whatever they can.

In order to donate to the food drive, all students and faculty have to do is bring in non-perishable food items. The food drive organizers are advising donators to not bring in opened or expired food, as they will not be able to accept them.

Drop-off boxes are located at the Veterans Resource Center on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and at the ROTC table at the Mav Ave in the Centennial Student Union on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Header Photo: The Veterans Resource Center and Army ROTC will host a food drive from now until April 29.