The MSSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is hosting their annual canned food drive Wednesday, Oct. 30, to gather canned food to donate to Souls Harbor, a Joplin-area homeless shelter and food pantry.
Each sports team at MSSU will be going to neighborhoods nearby to collect any cans that the community wants to donate. The teams compete to see what team is able to collect the most cans. Since beginning the drive, SAAC has been able to donate hundreds of canned food items annually, and they are looking to collect the most cans yet this year.
“Giving back to the community means being able to support those who support us,” Sofia Fatino, SAAC Senior Representative, said. “As student athletes at MSSU, the Joplin community helps us do what we love so giving back is a way to show our appreciation and care, just as people have done for us. We wouldn’t be MSSU athletes without the support of the community so it’s only right to help out where we can.”
According to Fatino, the Joplin community supports the MSSU athletic community so much, the SAAC wants to give back to the community in any way they can
According to sophomore SAAC representative Kennedy Williams said, each athletic team is assigned to canvass a certain area of Joplin. The teams themselves choose what days to distribute fliers and collect canned food donations. After collection, donations are delivered to Souls Harbor, located at 817 S Main Street in downtown Joplin.
Founded in 1982, Souls Harbor is a “Christ-centered, multifaceted human services and homeless shelter [which] strives to be a light for the homeless, less fortunate, and the hurting,” according to the organization’s Web site.
This year, SAAC hopes to collect the most cans yet. Spending most of the week of Oct. 20 collecting from neighborhoods, SAAC representatives hope to see a lot of community participation this year, to make this year’s donation their biggest one yet as the teams compete against each other to collect the most.
For more information on SAAC or other student organizations, visit the Student Activities Office in Billingsly Student Center, Room 210. For more information on Souls Harbor or to make a donation, visit their Web site at soulsharborjoplinblog.wordpress.com.
