By Abigail Loop
Staff Writer
Baylor’s Campus Kitchens is giving Waco’s less fortunate a chance to participate in the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
The organization is set to hold its 5th annual Turkeypalooza, an event that gives the Baylor community an opportunity to improve the hunger and nutritional needs of people in the Waco community.
Rosemary Townsend, staff coordinator of Campus Kitchen, said the event happens on a national scale.
Baylor’s Campus Kitchen adopted it when the organization started five years ago.
“It’s been such a good idea, our focus is in helping those who are food insecure in the community,” Townsend said. “The Baylor community is very generous and it’s such a caring and compassionate campus.”
Townsend said the Baylor community is encouraged to donate canned goods or make monetary donations at the Martin House on campus.
Canned goods can also be dropped off at donation boxes that are being placed around campus at the Hankamer School of Business and the Baylor Sciences Building.
Donations such as corn, green beans, cranberry sauce and stuffing are among foods that are being accepted.
“The canned goods will be given to the Shepard’s Heart food pantry,” Townsend said. “Monetary donations will be put towards gift cards for restaurants that will be going to Waco’s school district. These will then be given to families who are homeless.”
According to Shepard Heart’s website, one in four children in Texas under the age of 5 does not have access to a sufficient quality of nutritious food.
Texas also has the second-highest food insecurity rate in the United States for all age groups.
Plano junior Abby Miller, a student coordinator of Turkeypalooza, said the event gives the Baylor community a chance to give back and fight against the high food insecurity in the local Waco community.
“It’s a great way to reach out because you’re giving and providing in a really tangible way,” Miller said. “You’re giving someone food and that’s really cool.”
Miller said this year the organization is hoping for a bigger response and have more partnering this year with a variety of student organizations than they’ve had in previous years.
“We’re doing things with student government and PanHellenic is getting involved as well,” she said. “We’re hoping it goes really well.”
Miller said donations for Turkeypalooza are being accepted now until November 21.
To find out more about donations or how to be involved with Baylor’s Campus Kitchen, contact Rosemary Townsend at 254-710-4988.
