MTSU students can pick up one free Thanksgiving meal bag each in the Student Union Atrium from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6. These bags are pre-packed with items such as stuffing, gravy, cranberries, green beans and more non-perishable Thanksgiving food.
The Center for Student Involvement and Leadership, the Nontraditional Student Advisory Committee and the MTSU Food Pantry hosted a food drive to collect donations leading up to Thankful Thursday.
Maigan Wipfli, director of First-Year and Nontraditional Student Engagement, believed that this event helps to reduce the stigma surrounding food insecurity in the MTSU community.
“I’ve had students tell me that this was their first time getting food like this, and it taught them that it’s not shameful,” Wipfli said. “Things are expensive, and whether we want to be aware of it or not, there are people here at MTSU who go hungry all the time.”
Thankful Thursday also informs students about other campus resources, such as the MTSU Food Pantry located on the second floor of the Student Services and Admissions Center in MT One Stop. Anything that isn’t used for the event is taken there and is available to students who visit, Wipfli said.
“This event started during COVID, when we were trying to do events without getting people together,” Wipfli said. “That year, we had enough items donated to give away 127 bags of food, and we also took five cartloads of food to the MTSU Food Pantry afterwards.”
The amount of donations they get varies each year, and this year they have 117 bags to give away, Wipfli said. Donating to the food drive is a way for MTSU and the surrounding community to give back directly to MTSU students, Wipfli said.
Wipfli thanked the groups that donated, including the Human Resources department, Health Services, the College of Education, and the Alpha Delta Kappa Women’s Organization.
She also encouraged students to spread the word about Thankful Thursday, as she believes students are more likely to discuss food insecurity with their peers than with staff members.
Faith Hodge, an MTSU senior who plans to attend Thankful Thursday this year, says the event is the reason she can continue a Thanksgiving tradition with her friends.
“I feel like most college students love getting free food, regardless, but I think events like these are more important than ever right now,” Hodge said. “With SNAP benefits being unavailable, this could truly be the only way some students get a Thanksgiving meal.”
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