SUNY New Paltz and Valiant Dining Donate Mindful Care Kits
PURCHASE, NY, September 2024 – Sodexo’s dining programs at Manhattanville University and SUNY New Paltz assembled and donated Mindful care kits to local food pantries in honor of National Mindfulness Day.
Valiant Dining and New Paltz Dining purchased toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, hairbrushes, tissues, feminine care products and snacks to be donated, then asked for students’ help to assemble the items into care kits.
Sodexo Marketing Specialist Lauren Kanan said at SUNY New Paltz, kit assembly took place in The Roost convenience store, and in The Court dining hall at Manhattanville.
“We were set up right where everyone walks in, so right away they would ask what was going on,” Kanan said. “I'd tell them we are putting together care kits to donate and ask if they’d like to put one together. They would eagerly say yes.”
Sodexo District Registered Dietitian Kelly Pearson said food pantries often get donations of non-perishable items, but personal care items tend to be donated less, so they put a special focus on getting these items for donation.
Care kits at SUNY New Paltz were donated to the on-campus Food Pantry, and at Manhattanville were donated to Feeding Westchester, a food pantry in Elmsford, N.Y.
“I think this event also brought awareness that even though college students are on campus and have a meal plan, food insecurity is still a real thing,” Pearson said. “College students and our community need support, too.”
Kanan said both locations will aim to hold a food drive for more donations later in the fall.
“I think it's important for our dining programs to hold these events because it shows we care about our campus community, and that we're not just asking you to give, but we're willing to give, too,” she said.
About Manhattanville University
Manhattanville University (formerly Manhattanville College) is a private liberal arts institution dedicated to academic excellence, purposeful education, and social justice. For three years in a row, “U.S. News and World Report” has ranked Manhattanville the number one private, non-profit institution in New York among Top Performers of Social Mobility in Regional Universities North. Located 30 miles from New York City on a 100-acre suburban campus in the heart of Westchester County, Manhattanville enables easy access to entertainment offerings, educational resources, and business opportunities for its primarily residential and diverse student body. The university serves more than 1,300 undergraduate students and nearly 1,000 graduate students from more than 44 countries and 33 states. Founded in 1841, the university offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate areas of study in the arts and sciences, education, nursing and health sciences, business, and creative writing, as well as continuing and executive education programs. Graduate students can choose from over 70 graduate and certificate programs. Extracurricular offerings include more than 45 clubs and activities and 22 NCAA Division III teams.
Contact:
Cara Cea, cara.cea@mville.edu, 914-323-1278 or 914-906-9680.
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