In honor of National TRIO Day on Saturday, Feb. 23, Boise State TRIO programs are giving back to the Boise State campus community.
The six TRIO programs under the Center for Multicultural Educational Opportunities in the College of Education are collaborating on a donation drive to help supply the Dean of Students’ campus food pantry program. Federally funded TRIO programs are designed to provide targeted services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Dean of Students office lists the most needed food pantry items as: canned chicken, canned tuna, canned soup, peanut butter, trail mix, instant oatmeal, nuts, beef jerky and granola bars. Other needed items include personal care items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, feminine products, deodorant, razors, soap, shampoo/conditioner and toilet paper.
Faculty, staff and students can help by donating through the following link and entering “TRIO” in the comment field for “company/organization”: https://give.boisestate.edu/active-donation-forms/donation-form-final-ad-development-1?fid=1oCXzLzA%2fu4%3d&fdesc=n8%2biLGRxoS7J%2bYV9b7tWA3SdpR0VNXz9zdLyEbwKfh%2bcoNlEPSwELQ%3d%3d
Individuals also can leave one of the listed items in a designated donation box between Feb. 8-22. Simply let staff know at Albertsons Library or the Student Union information desk that the donation is for the TRIO campus food pantry drive.
Donation box locations:
- Student Union patio entrance (near the information desk)
- Student Union Games Center entrance
- Interactive Learning Center entrance (at base of stairs, central campus side)
- Albertsons Library, main corridor
- TRIO community room (Education Building, Room 210)
The campus food pantry program was reorganized in fall 2017 to support students who are facing food insecurity or may lack basic personal care items. A national survey conducted in 2017 found that 36 percent of students at four-year colleges experience some form of food insecurity and do not have enough to eat.
National TRIO Day initially was declared in 1986 by a congressional resolution. The purpose is to honor and celebrate these programs that were created out of the Civil Rights era and LBJ’s Great Society initiatives and date back as far as 1964. At Boise State, TRIO programs collectively serve an estimated 320 students and serve 24 high schools and middles schools throughout southern Idaho.