Appeal for a Meal: USciences donates more than 280 Thanksgiving meals

Hundreds of students, faculty and staff filled more than 600 brown paper bags to the brim with food donations for the Fifth annual Appeal for a Meal program.

In partnership with Philadelphia City Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell and Dimitri Dimopoulous, the owner of Allegro Pizza, the Thanksgiving meal staples will help to feed 282 deserving families in West Philadelphia over the holiday.

Student clubs and organizations and various departments from each of the four colleges donated cans of fruit, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and dessert to accompany the turkeys donated by Dimopoulous Members of the Division of Student Affairs and students from the Inter-Greek Council and Department of Campus Recreation, as well as Orientation Leaders, also volunteered their time to load up trucks full of the completed brown paper bags, which were donated by The Fresh Grocer, on Tuesday.

“We are so thankful to the USciences community for this wonderful show of support for a great cause,” said Randi Levitt, assistant director of student engagement. “No matter how large or small the donation, we know every bit helps local families."

This year’s meal drive outpaced the number of meals donated in previous years of the program.

The students of Alpha Phi Omega fraternity pulled together 17 bags of food, the most meals out of all the student organizations participating. Philadelphia College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacy Administration donated 49 bags of food, the most among the University’s departments. Members from both Alpha Phi Omega and the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacy Administration will be rewarded with a pizza party on behalf of USciences President Paul Katz.

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