Holiday food drive far exceeds goal with nearly 9,000 pounds collected for area families in need

With a huge boost from Liberty University’s maintenance staff, Liberty Dining’s annual food drive was a success, surpassing its goal of 2,000 pounds for a total of 8,900 pounds collected for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Sodexo, Liberty’s dining services provider, agreed to match the goal, dollar for pound, and donated $2,000 worth of food, which amounted to around 550 pounds.

Liberty students, faculty, and staff dropped off food at four locations on campus from Oct. 24 through Nov. 18. Many university departments encouraged their staff to donate. Liberty’s Maintenance Department came out on top, contributing an extraordinary 5,680 pounds.

Director of Maintenance Dee Smith said her department held a friendly, team-based competition for the food drive among its 115 employees, complete with daily progress reports and a thermometer-style chart posted outside of the break room that tracked the amount of donations.

“Our original goal was 500 pounds, which was one-fourth of the original overall goal. I separated our group into seven teams, and whichever team brought in the most food won a free lunch,” she said. “(The department was) as excited as I was when we received the final total. We were blown away by the response from everyone. The entire team was fully on board with donating.”

Smith said the staff is “family oriented” and during a time when SNAP benefits were at risk of being withheld, they wanted to help those in our area who were struggling to afford food.

She said the Maintenance Department plans to participate in future years.

“Next time, we plan to challenge all the other departments in the (Facilities Planning & Management Department),” Smith said. “As for the impact on others, I would like students and staff to see what a wonderful team the Maintenance Department is and what a great group of people work at Liberty for the love of God and the students. They do what they do to support Liberty’s mission of Training Champions for Christ.”

The donations directly support the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s mission to provide nutritious meals and emergency food boxes to families and individuals across Lynchburg and the surrounding counties.

Duke Davis, district manager for Sodexo, said with the winter approaching and hundreds of local partner agencies preparing for increased seasonal demand, contributions of this scale play a vital role in ensuring that households facing food insecurity receive support during the holiday season and beyond.

“This year’s level of giving shows that the Liberty community understands the challenges so many people are facing across the country,” Davis said. “Liberty Dining cares deeply about supporting the community in every way we can, even beyond our daily operations. The generosity shown this year was incredible. I am personally grateful for everyone’s efforts and thankful that we were able to make such a significant impact on the food bank.”

As the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank continues its essential work, Liberty Dining and Sodexo remain committed to supporting their mission and strengthening the partnership.

Shelby Stidham, marketing manager for Sodexo, said the success of this year’s drive demonstrates the power of collective generosity.

“The Maintenance Department’s effort truly set the tone (for the food drive), and I hope it motivates the entire campus to match that energy next year,” she said. “The needs in our community continue to rise, and each year brings new challenges, but I am confident Liberty will continue to rise to the occasion. The generosity we see during this drive is a powerful reminder of what our campus is capable of.”