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Whitworth students seek to raise $250,000 for One Million Meals

December 2, 2013

The Associated Students of Whitworth University has teamed up with Generation Alive and the Spokane community to form the One Million Meals project, which aims to raise $250,000 by the first week of May in order to deliver one million meals to individuals who are “food insecure” in the Spokane community.

The idea was first brought to ASWU’s attention by Whitworth President Beck A. Taylor last August. The ASWU Executive Board was immediately interested and sought to learn more about the project through Generation Alive.

“They told us that there are 90,000 people in Spokane who are food insecure, which means they do not know where their next meal will come from,” says Ian Robins, ’15, ASWU student body president. “This cause directly aligns with Whitworth’s mission to serve humanity, and the students of Whitworth are excited about it. So with the full support of our administration and Generation Alive, the members of ASWU agreed to take on this cause, raise the $250,000, and let Whitworth serve its community.”

ASWU has several strategies in place to raise the required funds. People will be able to donate to the One Million Meals project by mailing checks, designated for One Million Meals, to Generation Alive’s office at 9315 N. Nevada, Suite 202, Spokane, WA 99218 or online at https://www.generationalive.org/donate. On campus, ASWU plans to engage students in this project through dorm competitions and athletics programs. Students can also contribute by pledging to buy one less coffee a week and donating that money to the event. ASWU also plans to venture into Spokane to raise awareness and to educate people about food insecurity.

“Whitworth University is celebrating the centennial of its Spokane location this spring, and what better way to thank our community for its love and support over these past 100 years than to give back and serve in such a beautiful and meaningful way,” Robins says. “We are calling on alumni, faculty, staff, students and community friends alike to see how they can contribute and make this goal become reality.”

During the day of the meal-packing event, 800-1,000 people packing for eight-10 hours will be needed to meet the one-million-meal mark. Each meal should serve six people.

Generation Alive, a Spokane-based organization founded in 2005 by Jeremy and Larisa Affeldt, strives to provide young people with opportunities to engage in and promote justice in their communities.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of 3,000 students, offers 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.