"For unto whosoever much is given, of him shall be much required"
Luke 12:48
2000 Goal:
35,000 pounds
(1999 Total: 20,613 pounds of Food)
During the first Saturday of November, the Lambda Chi Alpha International Fraternity hosts the North American Food Drive. Over 200 chapters and colonies of our Fraternity are united in the purpose of destroying hunger. Our chapter at Union University has raised approximately 91,000 lbs. of food over the last six years. We could not have done it without the support of the Jackson community.
If you are interested in helping our organization please contact our High Beta or call 661-4334. Sponsorship and help with incentive prizes are Tax deductible and all other information is available with Contact.
A version of "Pantry Raid" was
started in the early 1980s by Theta-Eta Zeta at Millsaps College in the hopes of
promoting brotherhood and building a bond within the local community. During
those early years, the pounds of food that were collected rose steadily, and
community awareness of the Fraternity and the event soon followed. Not only was
there a sense of pride at the Millsaps chapter, but there was a great deal of
pride developed within the surrounding community. Soon, other fraternities,
charities and politicians were eager to help in this cause to help stamp out
hunger in their community.
While the Millsaps food drive was not the only food drive within Lambda Chi
Alpha, the model they used in planning and collecting food caught the attention
of the General Fraternity. With the success of "Pantry Raid" in mind
and a desire for an international philanthropy, the General Fraternity developed
the North American Food Drive. The General Fraternity was looking for a project
that would promote unity within the Fraternity but would not take the focus off
of the local communities of the chapters.
"Brothers Feeding Others" was the theme as 8,000 members of more than
150 chapters and colonies of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity completed the largest
single-day fraternity philanthropic project on November 6, 1993. The Fraternity
had a goal of collecting 100,000 pounds, but when the final results were
tallied, 256,416 pounds had been collected.
Coverage by CNN, dozens of local television stations, and hundreds of
newspapers, big and
small, brought positive publicity to Lambda Chi Alpha and
its fight against hunger. On November 5, 1994, Lambda Chi Alpha held its second
annual North American Food Drive and collected more than 415,000 pounds of food.
170 chapters participated in the second annual event, with more than 9,000
people taking part.
The event's third year, 1995, showed that the food drive was a project of
international significance as the total for the first time exceeded one-half
million. A record 185 chapters and colonies combined to collect 551,570 pounds
of food for the needy. Throughout North America more than 10,000 students took
part in the event, making it the largest single-day collegiate philanthropic
event ever. Media coverage of the event continued to grow as many chapters
secured television and radio stations as sponsors.
The fourth annual North American Food Drive, held on November 2, 1996, once
again set new precedents for a single-day collegiate drive and continued to
raise international awareness for the Fraternity. With 191 chapters and colonies
participating, significant regional efforts taking place in Dallas, Kansas City,
Atlanta, Washington DC, and Indianapolis, and over 11,000 students taking part,
835,588 pounds of food were collected, shattering the old total and setting the
Fraternity's sights on one million pounds of food for 1997. This goal was
realized on November 1, 1997 when 192 chapters and colonies across North America
collected a total of 1,127,845 pounds of food was collected. The goal of one
million pounds was easily surpassed.
Estimates in 1997 indicated that across North America more than a 800,000 hungry
people received food during the holidays from Lambda Chi Alpha's efforts. Meals
were served at missions, soup kitchens extended their efforts, and groceries
were delivered to homes where people had gone for days with nothing to eat. The
numbers are impressive, but the story is told in the local communities where a
needy family receives a much needed healthy meal.
One million pounds remained the goal for 1998, but once again, the men of Lambda
Chi Alpha exceeded expectations by collecting more than 1.9 million pounds of
food. The six year food drive total is 5.1 million pounds. For 1999, the goal of
two million pounds of food seems within reach.
The stories of those chapter efforts and all of the outstanding food drive
accomplishments every year cannot be told, unfortunately, in a single historical
review. A book could be written on the many stories, and still some would be
left out. Some of the outstanding efforts of 1998, however, provide an excellent
example of how the food drive is shaping the image of Lambda Chi Alpha, both in
the community and in the Fraternity.
Lambda Chi Alpha's chapters and members have led the way in addressing a vital
issue: hunger. The event has attracted large-scale media coverage as chapters
have worked together as an International Fraternity to help communities in North
America fight hunger. Over several years, the "Pantry Raid" food drive
had been utilized by several of Lambda Chi Alpha's chapters and had resulted in
excellent public relations for those chapters. With the advent of the North
American Food Drive, Lambda Chi Alpha have been able to bring its membership
together to confront a serious problem while displaying the positive impact that
fraternities can have on their local communities.
This event is Lambda Chi Alpha's biggest philanthropy ever, and collecting two
million pounds will make this drive a significant part of Fraternity history.
Don't let your chapter miss out on the 1999 North American Food Drive!