Christopher Newport University Campus-Wide Initiative Results
in Record-Setting Day For The Foodbank of the VA Peninsula
News Release - September 10, 2008
Media Contact:
Lori Jacobs
University Relations
lori.jacobs@cnu.edu
(757) 594-7961
(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) - Christopher Newport University’s campus-wide ‘Food For Thought’ initiative, conceived by university president Paul Trible to teach students the importance of stewardship and community outreach, set a new record of total pounds of food collected in a single day benefitting the FoodBank of the Virginia Peninsula. Food donations totaled 59,195 lbs. and monetary contributions totaled $4,749.00. Combined, the totals translate to 78,195 pounds of food; or 96,180 individual meals.
“This far exceeds our lofty goal of 50,000 lbs., said the Foodbank’s past president Jane Susan Frank. “ We hope to continue this collaboration with CNU on an annual basis, and challenge all universities in the commonwealth to partner with their local foodbanks.”
"Food for Thought" involved all of CNU’s faculty, staff and student organizations. The event was part of CNU's community partnership initiative, designed to unite campus and community members in collaborative projects for the mutual benefit of the broader Peninsula community. The initiative facilitates programs that help meet community-defined needs while assisting students to learn social and civic values as they apply their academic knowledge and skills to contemporary social issues.
“Our students should confront hunger, poverty, misfortune, human suffering and loss and through these experiences come to understand the harsh realities of this world. They must also know how their unique abilities can turn hardship into triumph to instill in them a life-long sense of responsibility for making the world a better place,” noted president Paul Trible.
The mission of the Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula is to distribute food effectively through collaborative efforts that minimize hunger, promote nutrition and self-reliance through education. For additional information regarding the Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula, visit www.charityadvantage.com.
Christopher Newport University is a four-year public university in Newport News, Virginia. CNU enrolls 5,000 students in rigorous academic programs through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Joseph W. Luter III College of Business and Leadership and offers great teaching, small classes and an emphasis on leadership, civic engagement and honor. Visit us at www.cnu.edu.