YPSILANTI, MI - Students in need of food assistance at Eastern Michigan University will benefit from a week-long collection of items held at local Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market locations.

Beginning Monday. Oct. 9 through Saturday, Oct. 15, customers at Fresh Thyme locations in Ypsilanti, Northville and Canton can donate food and supplies from the store for EMU's Swoop's Student Food Pantry.

Located in EMU's Pierce Hall, Swoop's was opened in the fall of 2015, with 22 percent of the students visiting the food pantry experiencing housing instability.

During the week, each of the three stores will have tables where guests will receive a "top 10" list of items needed at the pantry that they can then purchase in the stores. Store employees will be wearing special T-shirts representing the collaboration, with the message: "Working together to support our communities."

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Fresh Thyme will have a Brats for a Buck cookout event at all three participating locations, with all proceeds donated to the food pantry to purchase perishable goods, including milk and bread, for students who visit the pantry.

"We're so appreciative of this partnership with Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market," Swoop's Founder Haley Moraniec said in a news release. "We continue to receive such great community and campus support. Efforts such as this are so important in furthering our mission to help students in need with food and resources that can enhance their success in college."