Washington College Students Donate Over $13,000 in Dining Dollars to Kent County Food Banks
Chestertown, MD – In a remarkable display of generosity, students at Washington College donated over $13,000 in unused Dining Dollars to support local food banks in Kent County this summer. The initiative, spearheaded by the Student Government Association (SGA), provided hundreds of pounds of food to families in need.
(Image: Students and staff at Washington College sort the food donations purchased with student donations for local food pantries. – Credit: Washington College)
Traditionally, students are able to spend remaining Dining Dollars on bulk food purchases at the end of the spring semester. SGA cabinet members Joseph Atkins ’28 and Kai Follett ’27 saw an opportunity to extend that benefit beyond individual students and into the wider community.
“We realized we could leverage the existing system to help supply food pantries in Kent County,” explained Follett.
The SGA launched a campus-wide drive,promoting the donation option through flyers and email. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with students contributing a total of $13,398.
“I was blown away by the amount of money we raised,” said Atkins. “The kindness of all the students who donated their dining dollars was really amazing. It shows the impact that students can have within their communities and that we all have the ability to help those in need.”
Working with AVI, Washington College’s food service provider, Executive Chef Jeremy Schultz used the funds to purchase several pallets of packaged foods from their regular suppliers. Interns and staff then delivered the donations to three local food banks, providing crucial support during the summer months.
This initiative highlights washington College’s commitment to community engagement and demonstrates the power of student-led initiatives to address local needs.
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