INDIANA UNIVERSITY PURDUE UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Administration Building, Suite 136 355 N. Lansing Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-2896 317-274-7711 Fax: 317-274-5457

IUPUI FOOD DRIVE TO HELP MEET INCREASING NEED FOR DONATIONS

INDIANAPOLIS - With the slowed economy and the drop in donations after September 11, holiday food drives are more important than ever this year.

Gleaners food bank alone has seen an almost 50 percent drop in food donations and a 19 percent drop in monetary donations from the same time last year.

The IUPUI campus is hoping it can again fill an entire bus with food during the annual "Jam the Jaguars Bus" food drive to help Indianapolis food pantries like Gleaners.

"With the economy, our pantries are getting more and more requests for food assistance and our pantry is pretty bare right now," said Debbie Wilson, public affairs director for Gleaners. "We're hoping with the holiday season and the various food drives that that will help make up the difference."

Faculty, staff and students are already collecting the food that will be delivered via bus on Nov. 20 to 10 different local charities.

A variety of opportunities will also allow the Indianapolis community to participate. On Nov. 12, attendees to the Jaguars men's basketball game at the IUPUI gymnasium, 901 W. New York St., will receive free admission with the donation of an item. The IUPUI bookstores, 425 University Blvd. and 620 Union Dr., are offering a 25% discount on Jaguars merchandise with the donation of a bag of items. The Natatorium is will provide a free swim pass to those who bring four cans of food. The community is also invited to "buy" a seat on the bus by donating $50 to one of the benefiting charities.

The community is also welcome to bring goods on Nov. 20 from 12-1 p.m. to the University College courtyard, 815 W. Michigan St., where the bus will be parked and loaded with food.

Most needed items include meals-in-a-can, canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, bread, rice, pasta, crackers, and personal hygiene and household items such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo and diapers.

For more information, please call (317) 274-7711 or log on to http://www.iupui.edu/~extaff/prom/jamthejagbus.htm.

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