New to K-State is the Food Recovery Club. Based around striving to resolve food insecurity, the new organization is headed up by Tom Anjard, freshman in industrial engineering, and Thomas Allen, sophomore in political science.
According to Allen, the organization was inspired by their experience in the Introduction to Leadership Studies course where they participated in a project that focused on hunger in Kansas and Manhattan.
“I didn’t really think that food was really a big issue here at K-State,” Allen said.
Through the leadership project, he was introduced to the idea of the Food Recovery Network. The network generally has chapter organizations on college campuses and focuses on taking unused food from dining centers and donating it to homeless shelters and other agencies for the less fortunate.
“There’s a lot of food that goes to waste that could be distributed to those in need on a daily basis,” Anjard said. “I think food is one of those things that people take for granted and we’re trying to help out those who might not have the basic necessities that we do.”
While the Food Recovery Club is not yet affiliated with the Food Recovery Network, that is something Anjard and Allen are working on. Anjard said they have to do two large-scale recoveries and go through an application process to become an official chapter of the network.
The club is currently working with the Office of Student Activities and Services and HandsOn K-State to help spread the word about the work its members are doing.
“The Food Recovery Club was started to shed light on food insecurity in our community and give food to those that need it,” Cassidy Harper, sophomore in industrial engineering, said. “I think this club is important because as part of the K-State family; we want to do everything we can to make sure no one here goes to bed without food to eat.”
According to Allen, the club is approaching its recoveries a little differently than other universities. Rather than going through the dining centers, the Food Recovery Club is looking to partner with Flavours by Sodexo in the K-State Student Union and the athletic department’s performance table for athletes in Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
“We’re working to secure a local partner agency,” Allen said. “Once we get that ‘yes’ from them, we’re going to need as many people as we can get.”
While the organization is still getting all of the arrangements made, Anjard said he believes the club will be able to do a lot of good giving back to the community. It also serves as a way for students to see first-hand the benefits of the work they are doing.
Allen said he hopes the organization will give students a broader view and show them what life is like for other people.
