This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
On Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m., Dining Services will present a check of more than $2,700 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania in the Bergethon Room of Marquis Hall.
The money was raised in April as part of a culinary showdown which aimed to raise funds for Sodexho’s S.T.O.P. Hunger campaign.
Sodexho, the foodservices company which manages Dining Services, is a partner of America’s Second Harvest—The Nation’s Food Bank Network. With over 200 food banks and food-rescue programs, this network serves all 50 states and Puerto Rico and distributes donated food through 50,000 charitable organizations. Last year Second Harvest distributed nearly two billion pounds of food and fed 26 million hungry Americans.
The money will go to support Second Harvest’s Backpack Program. A number of children in America rely on free or reduced-price school lunches during the school year. The Backpack Program is designed to meet the needs of these hungry children when other resources are not available by sending each child home with a backpack of food for the weekend.
About 117 students are currently part of the program. The money raised by Lafayette will go to support eight students for an additional year.
Ann McManus, executive director of the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast PA, will accept the check on behalf of her organization and Joseph Binotto, general manager of Lafayette Dining Services, will speak about the fundraising event that occurred last semester.
Robert Wood, executive vice president of client development for Sodexho, will speak about the Backpack program and Sodexho’s ongoing relationship with Second Harvest. Wood was previously chairman of Wood Dining Services, which was bought by Sodexho. Wood Dining Services held Lafayette as its second oldest account. Today, Sodexho is the main food service in the Lehigh Valley.
Sandra Jarva Weiss, wife of President Daniel Weiss, will also be in attendance at the check presentation and will offer her remarks.