MUH donates a ton of food to Shared Harvest, literally

December 18, 2007

Dave Sobecki nudged the campus a little harder than usual this holiday season, knowing area food pantries have been struggling to keep up with increasing demands for food.

The result is a campus record for food donations from the Miami Hamilton community – 2,171 pounds. The previous record was 1,751 pounds.

Dave Sobecki is used to cramped office space this time of year.

Sobecki, associate professor of math, said the amount can be measured in tons instead of pounds for the first time since he started the campus food drive several years ago.

“I knew we could do it with a little extra effort and a lot of caring. That was one goal I had never been able to reach – a ton of food in one season,” Sobecki said, noting the campus also donated $460 in cash this year to Shared Harvest.

“I’m proud to say that in the last three years, Miami Hamilton has donated about five thousand pounds of food and $1,000 in cash to Shared Harvest Foodbank,” he said.

Shared Harvest, a clearinghouse based in Fairfield, provides food to dozens of food pantries and charitable organizations throughout Southwest Ohio.

“As the economy continues to slow down, more and more people need help. This has been a tough year for many people. A lot of cupboards are bare, and the local food pantries are struggling to meet the growing need,” Sobecki said.

“Our campus responded as I knew it would.”

For more information about Shared Harvest, go to www.sharedharvest.org.