Andrea Walker loading a Thanksgiving dinner into a volunteer's vehicle for delivery.
from left, Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio, Amanda Ladigo, and Tim O'Brien, waiting for the next delivery vehicle to park in the lot.
Students Make Difference During Thanksgiving For Local Families
Thanksgiving means many things to different people. One common theme is being appreciative of the life we have and having the opportunity to share our bounty. A handful of Aggie entomology and forensic and investigative science students participated in a recent opportunity to give back to the community.
On Saturday November 21, TAMU Department of Entomology students helped the Aggieland Rotary Club pack dinners for delivery to families in need during its annual Thanksgiving Baskets community service project.
Each Saturday before Thanksgiving, students help fill boxes with dinner items and deliver them to homes that have registered with local agencies.
Professor Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio, a member of the Aggieland Rotary Club, said that each of the packages they deliver feed up to eight people. Pietrantonio wanted to give the students in the department a way to make a difference in the lives of families in need during the Thanksgiving holidays. She said it would be a great experience for the students to learn about giving back to the community.
In the months prior to Thanksgiving and through a variety of sources, the club identifies families who, because of financial hardship, medical conditions, or physical challenges might not be able to afford a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Families receive turkeys, stuffing mix, canned vegetables, sweet potatoes, marshmallows, cranberry sauce, fresh fruit, dinner rolls, and desserts.
This is the third time that the students have been working with the project. Pietrantonio has been a member of the local Rotary since 2006 and was an International Rotary Scholar from Argentina, which helped with her studies as a master's student at University of California at Riverside.
"Each of us can help the community, even if in a small way or without giving money," she said. "The students donate their energy and time and the club purchases the food and organizes the distribution. There are many people in the community that need and appreciate this small gesture from our club."
Senior Andrea Walker enjoyed working with everyone and was glad to help out with the event. "This really is great and I want to do my part to help out," she said.