Jersey City, N.J. – March 6, 2015 – The Campus Kitchen at Saint Peter’s University today announced that it placed third in a week-long, national “Raise the Dough” online fundraising challenge. The challenge was hosted by The Campus Kitchens Project, a national organization that empowers student volunteers to fight hunger in their communities. From February 20 to February 27, participating Campus Kitchens competed against one another to raise the most money to support their efforts. Student volunteers from 24 colleges and universities participated in this challenge and raised more than $56,000 to benefit hunger relief efforts in their communities.
With an initial goal of $1,000, the Campus Kitchen at Saint Peter’s University exceeded expectations with a final total of $6,000. Saint Peter’s was also awarded an additional $250 for placing third in the competition. The funds will be used to continue to prepare more than 700 meals each month for families in need.
“The progress the Campus Kitchen at Saint Peter’s has made over the past few months has significantly exceeded our expectations and we are incredibly proud of our achievements thus far,” said Erich Sekel, associate director of campus ministry at Saint Peter’s University. “Achieving third place in a national competition within our first year of existence truly speaks to our dedication and momentum. We would like to thank all of the individuals who made this success possible, including our alumni, faculty, staff, administration, our partner Sodexo, donors and most importantly, our students. There may be no greater manifestation of the Jesuit mission than a small, but great community coming together to take stand against an injustice.”
At each of the 42 Campus Kitchens nationwide, students lead efforts to combat food waste and hunger by collecting surplus food from on‐campus dining halls, community gardens, restaurants and grocery stores and transforming it into healthy meals. In the last academic year, Campus Kitchens across the country rescued more than 823,549 pounds of food and served 293,963 meals to 12,006 clients. Each Campus Kitchen goes beyond delivering meals to develop and implement innovative programs that address the root causes of hunger.
The Campus Kitchen at Saint Peter’s University opened in September 2014 and since its inception it has reclaimed 4,280 pounds of food and has served more than 4,000 meals. Two hundred seventy five students and community members have volunteered more than 725 service hours in the Campus Kitchen alone.
The Office of Campus Ministry engages students in a number of other service activities, which benefit the community and beyond. On a weekly basis, students engage in the Emmaus Project and bring bagged lunches and toiletries to area homeless shelters. Saint Peter’s recently established the Saint Peter’s University Food and Clothes Pantry, which has served more than 580 people with 1,500 pounds of food, more than 6,000 articles of clothing and blankets and more than 1,100 pounds of toiletries.
Service is an important component of the commitment to community engagement at Saint Peter’s University. Through curricular , cu-curricular, volunteer and partnership interactions, each year more than 1,100 Saint Peter’s students participate in a total of approximately 57,000 hours of community engagement with local, national and global organizations.
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Saint Peter’s University, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment. To learn more, please visit www.saintpeters.edu.
About The Campus Kitchens Project
Founded in 2001, The Campus Kitchens Project is a national organization that empowers student volunteers to fight hunger in their community. On 42 university and high school campuses across the country, students transform unused food from dining halls, grocery stores, restaurants, and farmers’ markets into meals that are delivered to local agencies serving those in need. By taking the initiative to run a community kitchen, students develop entrepreneurial and leadership skills, along with a commitment to serve their community, that they will carry with them into future careers. Each Campus Kitchen goes beyond meals by using food as a tool to promote poverty solutions, implement garden initiatives, participate in nutrition education, and convene food policy events. To learn more about our work or bring The Campus Kitchens Project to your school, visit www.campuskitchens.org.
Media Contact:
Angeline Boyer
aboyer1@saintpeters.edu
(201) 761-6238