This spring, the Ross Medical Education Center Niles, Ohio campus joined in as a part of the Ross forces determined to stop hunger in their communities. Like many of the other campuses, they hosted a food drive on their campus. Throughout the month during which they collected food, students enjoyed watching the boxes fill with goods that would be used to help those in their community. By the end of the drive, they had collected over 300 of the most needed food items and were ready to send them over to the Second Harvest Food bank in Youngstown, Ohio.
Once the campus had decided to collect their food for the Second Harvest Food Bank, they began to really focus in on what was needed at the organization by talking to volunteers and staff there. According to the Volunteer Coordinator, the pantry shelves at the food banks are often depleted in the spring and summer in the local area. In order to help keep that from happening, the Ross students, faculty, and staff in Niles committed to steadily collecting food donations throughout the entire duration of the regional drive. The commitment and teamwork of everyone on the campus was inspiring. One student shared about the experience, “I understand what it is like to need assistance every now and then, and it feels great to be able to help someone else that needs assistance.”
According to Shayla Gainer, Campus Director at Ross in Niles, the campus chose Second Harvest because it is a regional food bank that donates to all of the local food banks which include churches and city food banks. When she reached out to them, she shared about their excitement, “they expressed the great need for food in the area during the spring and summer months and they never have enough to go around.” She continued, “Youngstown is one of the poorest cities in America with a poverty rate of about 40%. In this area, it is especially important for our students to have a sense of community; each little bit can go a long way in an area that really needs it.” The staff and faculty is very proud of their students who worked hard to help out those in need this spring.
To learn more about this food bank and how you can help, visit the Second Harvest Food Bank Facebook page or their website at www.secondharvestfoodbank.org.