Nov. 23, 2020 — Northern Kentucky University’s on-campus food pantry and student community center, FUEL NKU, hosts its third annual Thanksgiving Celebration on Nov. 25 with plans to serve to-go meals for nearly 200 students staying on or near campus through the holidays.
FUEL NKU hosts a family-style feast each year to help students give thanks and share a special meal together. With the university’s transition to remote operations and learning through winter break, FUEL NKU is teaming up with the campus community to make sure students have consistent university support they need.
“The holiday season is right around the corner, and the pandemic has brought an increase in food insecurities on campus,” said Dr. Jessica Averitt Taylor, FUEL NKU founder. “No one should be hungry, especially on a day that typically celebrates time with loved ones. We will be ready outside the Student Union with meals ready for you to grab and go.”
FUEL NKU is partnering with several community partners to provide the Thanksgiving meals for students. The Kroger Co. provided turkey for 200 meals, and Busken Bakery donated pumpkin pies. Chartwells, NKU’s external food services partner, pitched in to cover an array of side items and help with coordinating the event logistics. Along with the to-go meals, students can also request other food and essentials to support them through the upcoming Thanksgiving and winter breaks.
The number of students in need of FUEL NKU support continues to expand. Since 2016, the student community center has welcomed 15,067 visits and provided 85,706 pounds of food and toiletries to students over the last year.
“We’ve donated nearly double the amount of food these past few months, and we currently serve about 8% of all NKU students. This to-go celebration ensures our students know where they’ll find their next meal. It may be a small gesture, our students know that we care about them, and we are here for them.”
The Thanksgiving Celebration dinner is free and open to all NKU students. For more information on the Thanksgiving Celebration, please visit FUEL NKU’s website.
About NKU: Founded in 1968, we are a growing metropolitan university of more than 15,000 students served by more than 2,000 faculty and staff on a thriving suburban campus near Cincinnati. Located in the quiet suburb of Highland Heights, Kentucky—just seven miles southeast of Cincinnati—we have become a leader in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky by providing a private school education for a fraction of the cost. While we are one of the fastest growing universities in Kentucky, our professors still know our students' names. For more information, visit nku.edu.
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Atley Smedley
smedleyj1@nku.edu
(606) 923-0013
