SDSU collects almost 600,000 pound of food for a local food bank

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – San Diego State University’s Associated Students chapter today announced its Aztecs Rock Hunger food drive collected nearly 600,000 pounds of food for the Jacobs and Cushman Food Bank, a new record for the charitable effort.

The drive collected non-perishable items from Sept. 28 to Oct. 21 around SDSU’s campus and at home athletic events. Cash donations also were accepted, with $1 equating to six pounds of food.

The 590,503 pounds of food collected exceeded the total of the 2017 food drive — 588,915 pounds.The drive has collected more than two million pounds of food since it launched in 2008.

“It has been amazing to see so many different divisions and facets of campus come together and give their all toward this campaign fighting food insecurity,” A.S. Vice President of Financial said. “I’m beyond proud of the donations we collected, and I’m even prouder of the impact we will have on SDSU and the San Diego community through our donation.”

SDSU’s Associated Students donated 80 percent of monetary donations to the Jacobs and Cushman Food Bank. The other 20 percent will go to the university’s Economic Crisis

Response Team, which supports students experiencing hunger and food insecurity.

According to food bank CEO Jim Floros, the donations will help the bank’s client base of more than 370,000 people in San Diego, including college students enrolled in its College Hunger-relief program.

“We are so incredibly grateful to everyone who supported the 2018 Aztecs Rock Hunger Food Drive and the food bank’s vital mission in the community,” Floros said.