UF & Sodexo Fighting Hunger with Helping Hands Food Drive ’22

University of Findlay’s 17th Annual Helping Hands Food Drive, organized by Sodexo, will take place Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022.

Nonperishable foods, that haven’t passed their expiration dates, and monetary donations will be collected to benefit those who need them most. Donations will be collected on-campus at the Alumni Memorial Union through a “drive-up and drop-off” process from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Multiple off-site donation locations are also available including the Walmart on Trenton Ave., Walmart on Tiffin Ave., Great Scot on Broad Ave., and Brinkman’s Market on Sandusky St. between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Garner Trucking has generously agreed to transport the food from UF to CHOPIN Hall after volunteers have inspected and sorted it.

• The top-five requested items are:
  • Peanut butter and jelly
  • Canned soup
  • Canned fruit
  • Cereal
  • Bottled juice

All donations go to CHOPIN Hall and will benefit families in Findlay and Hancock County. Last year, the Helping Hands Food Drive far surpassed all goals and collected a record-breaking 214,559 pounds of food.

The Helping Hands Food Drive will have a “can-struction” competition, sponsored by the Student Government Association, between student organizations. Students will compete by constructing a sculpture that best represents this year’s theme: “Souper” Heroes. Can-struction will take place Friday, Oct. 28 through Tuesday, Nov. 1 and awards will be given for the most creative, most pounds of food used, and people’s choice. Prizes are donated by AxeVentura, Dietsch Brothers, and AMF Bowling Alley.

Along with the donations and “can-struction” competition, new this year to the Helping Hands Food Drive is a Helping Hands Food Drive Competition between local schools. Schools collect the food at their location on Oct. 31, Nov. 1, and the morning of Nov. 2. Volunteers will weigh, inspect, sort, and pack the food to be delivered to CHOPIN Hall. On Thursday, Nov. 3, at noon, the Helping Hands team will have an awards ceremony at the Center for Student Life where the total pounds of food collected and donated will be announced. During this ceremony, we will announce the winners of various Helping Hands competitions. The winner of the school competition will receive the Helping Hands Golden Can Award and a pizza party donated by Domino’s Pizza.

Since the introduction of the Sodexo food drive initiative to college campuses across the United States in 2006, UF has led the nation nearly every year with the most pounds collected and has donated 1,097,963 pounds of food to date. Students, faculty, staff, and friends of the University come together year after year to support this initiative through donations, helping at collection sites, and sorting donations.

For more information on the food drive and ways to give, visit the Helping Hands Food Drive page online, or contact Dining Services at ufdining@findlay.edu.