Students donated a record amount of food items to the AIDS Support Network and the San Luis Obispo Hep C Project this year.
The food drive was conducted through Cal Poly’s residence halls during the spring quarter. Students donated 8,591 food items, double the amount raised last year. The food, estimated to be worth a total of $12,600, will make roughly 10,933 meals.
Kara Kurcio, learning community coordinator for the residence halls, said the coordinators of student development made a concerted effort to increase the lines of communication to students through emails, weekly newsletters and posters. She said the drop-off locations for the food were also in more convenient areas near the exits of the buildings.
“This year, I would say that the biggest difference for the spring quarter was that we worked really hard to make sure that our students understood where the food was going,” Kurcio said. “We also extended our collection by a few days.”
The food goes to AIDS Support Network (ASN)’s food pantry, which serves clients who are infected with HIV, Hepatitis C or both. Karla Quiroga, volunteer coordinator for ASN and the SLO Hep C Project, said it can be difficult for people living with either disease to be able to adequately provide for their needs.
“They are living on limited incomes,” she said. “Some of them are on disability, and some of them are just not able to work as much as they would like, maybe due to HIV or Hep C.”
She also said it can be difficult to afford food due to medical expenses. The food pantry serves as a vital resource for this population.
“The food pantry is basically open every day that we are open, and our clients can come in and use it as often as they need to,” Quiroga said. “And it’s just for people who are our clients, so that means they are living with Hepatitis or HIV or both.”
The organization supports an estimated 150 people who are living with AIDS and another 375 to 400 people with Hepatitis C. A client’s eligibility for the program is not contingent upon his or her income.
“Just basically they have to show proof of virus, and that’s how they get enrolled as a client,” Quiroga said. “If they show proof, and they’re making over a certain amount, we still take them.”
The food drive is an annual tradition with Cal Poly and has occurred for more than three years. It is one of many ASN events that the Cal Poly faculty and students help support. Other events include the Walk for Life and World AIDS day.
The Walk for Life is organized through a partnership with Trinity Hall residence directors, who are in charge of promoting the event on campus. This year’s walk will take place on November 5. Quiroga said Cal Poly is the group that consistently raised the most money for the agency at the walk. This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the event.
World AIDS Day is December 1. Students are asked to wear red and are invited to take part in forming a human AIDS ribbon in the University Union (UU) during UU hour.
“We really believe in all of the support that ASN gives to our community, and we know that they are in need of as much support as we can give them,” Kurcio said. “It’s really great to continue that partnership throughout the whole year where we can collaborate more than just a one-time thing. That’s really important to us.”
Quiroga said she hopes events like these will help draw attention to the agency and raise awareness about the diseases.
“First and foremost is just letting the community know that we’re here,” she said. “Especially when I interview potential volunteers from Cal Poly, they’re always surprised that we’re here, and even community members are always surprised that we’re here. And they may know somebody who is living with HIV or Hep C and is not connected with our agency.”