Saint Anselm students were not going to let a global pandemic prevent them from helping provide meals and clothes to community members who need it most. This past year has been challenging for many and that was even more reason to forge ahead with the Food, Clothing and Furniture (FCF) Drive.
The FCF Drive is a student-led tradition that involves campus residents donating gently used clothing, furniture and excess food to area families who could use assistance. It takes place at the end of the semester as students move out of their residences before going on summer break.
Instead of bringing the items to individual homes like in previous years, twenty students helped collect donations during finals week and dropped them off at three locations – the New Hampshire Food Bank, Families in Transition and Waypoint’s Youth Street Outreach Program. They weren’t able to distribute large furniture this year, but students set up drop-off locations around the Hilltop and received things like soup, ramen noodles, coconut water, a suit and a big stuffed teddy bear.
More than 1,400 pounds of food was donated to the New Hampshire Food Bank, which will provide roughly 1,200 meals, according to Tess Beardsley ’21, one of the FCF leaders.
“In a typical year, we’d see things like couches and unopened food go right into the trash can,” Beardsley said. “So this is a good way to reduce waste and help out our community members.”
Shane Correale '21 said he didn’t think twice about volunteering his time for a good cause, especially during this unprecedented health crisis.
“It’s just what being Anselmian is all about,” he said. “I’ve been helped out a lot throughout my life, so I feel like I have a duty to give back to those that are less fortunate than me. And right now is a tough time for a lot of people, so I know that the work that we’re doing is really good for them.”