Academic Advising’s ‘can’-do project

November 16, 2009 by Rachel Johnson 

Packaged items collected will benefit local charity

With unemployment rates continuing to rise in the Las Vegas Valley some struggling families have found themselves in bleak situations but one UNLV group is reaching out to make a difference.

In an attempt to aid struggling Southern Nevadans, UNLV Academic Advising teamed up with the Three Square organization last week to provide non-perishable food donations to local Las Vegas communities in need of assistance.

Brightly labeled bins located in all of the advising centers across campus served as donation drop off points.

Kia Frericks, assistant director of the hotel college advisory center, is responsible for coordinating one advising community event yearly.

“The advising committee meets up once a month with separate advisors on campus. My job as task coordinator is to organize different fundraisers on campus to give back to local communities,” Frericks said.

Providing a $1 donation to the Three Square organization is equivalent to giving three meals.

Frericks said she believes students should take into account how donations benefit membmers of their own communities – especially during the holidays.

“Thanksgiving is a time where there is so much to be thankful for. It is so important for students this holiday season to consider who will be affected by their generous donations,” Frericks said.

Three Square is a non-profit organization that focuses mainly on centralizing the Valley’s food donations to ensure equal distribution among its 271 partnering agencies.

It is estimated that since its start in 2007, Three Square and its partners have served more than 70,000 meals to the hungry every month. They have distributed more than 12 million pounds of food to local Las Vegas families this year.

Erica Thompson, Three Square special events and volunteer manager, is responsible for coordinating fundraisers and providing insight on local volunteer services.

“Many of the first-time donators now find themselves utilizing the services they were once donating to,” Thompson said.

The donations provided to Three Square help fill the needs different people throughout the valley.

“Hunger doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter who you are, what your race is, religious backgrounds, anyone is at risk for going hungry,” Thompson said. “Students need to understand that hunger affects everyone and donating is a great opportunity for students to feel a part of their community.”