Vikings Care Food Pantry Receives $10,000 Award at UNCG Ceremony

ECSU’s Russ Haddad, second from left, Dr. John Lee, center, Dr. Jennifer Brown, and Ashante Spruill, right, receive a $10,000 check from Food Lion for its efforts to raise food donations to help fight hunger.

The Vikings Care Food Pantry team was on the campus of UNC Greensboro Wednesday, Feb. 13, to receive a $10,000 check from Food Lion. The Elizabeth City State University Food Lion Feeds Team won the Souper Bowl Drive award, raising an average of more than four pounds of food per ECSU student.

Last fall ECSU became one of 18 university campuses across the state to join the Food Lion Feeds “Collegiate Challenge.” The challenge was designed to mobilize campuses to address hunger in their communities.

ECSU opened the Vikings Care Food Pantry in spring 2018 as a part of its initiative to fight hunger, and give students in need of assistance a chance to augment their monthly food budget through the pantry.

ECSU student Ashante Spruill was selected to lead the campaign under the guidance of the program sponsor, Dr. Jennifer Brown. Through a series of events, and working with specific deadlines, Spruill and other students worked with Dr. Brown to meet the requirements to compete in the overall competition.

Since the Viking Cares Food Pantry opened, numerous students have received needed help with monthly groceries. In addition to students, the pantry has also assisted the local chapter of the American Red Cross with its needs, supplying food to families hit hard by last year’s hurricane season.

The pantry will also continue to assist members of the greater Elizabeth City community.

The Vikings Care Food Pantry is a division of the Sustainability and Resilience Board of Elizabeth City State University, and part of the North Carolina Campus Compact Initiatives. Donations can be made directly to the ECSU Foundation – marked Viking Food Pantry.

For more information, contact Russ Haddad at rghaddad@ecsu.edu, or Dr. Jennifer Brown at jjbrown@ecsu.edu.