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A mini version of the annual move-out week ShareFest resulted in 3,700 pounds of food collected from students moving out of their residence halls. The food was donated to the Talawanda Oxford Pantry and Social Services. Photo: Rob Abowitz

Apr 06, 2020

Mini Move-Out ShareFest yields 3,700 pounds of food donated to local food pantry

By Susan Meikle, university news and communications

volunteers-at-food-pantry

Volunteers deliver food collected from the residence hall move-out to the Talawanda Oxford Pantry and Social Services (photos courtesy of Rob Abowitz).

ShareFest 2020 would have been held during Miami’s Move-Out Week in May, but with the transition to remote instruction at Miami on March 12, and students moving out of residence halls by March 21, organizers planned a mini version of it. The annual student move-out collection drive that benefits local non-profit organizations and families in need.

Students donated 3,700 pounds of food during the residence hall move-out period.

Items were donated to the Talawanda Oxford Pantry and Social Services (TOPSS, formerly the Oxford Community Choice Pantry).

Donation boxes were collected by Miami’s EcoReps, with Rob Abowitz, associate director of residence life, Adam Sizemore, director of sustainability and Cecil Okotah, recycling coordinator.

The donated food was picked up over the course of two days and delivered by volunteers from the Oxford community and Miami's department of kinesiology and health, as well as members of the ShareFest board of directors, Abowitz said.

What about the RecycleMania Competition?

Cut short, but Zero Waste contest generated 370 pounds of donated clothing

Prior to the State of Ohio Stay at Home order, Miami had been competing in the national RecycleMania tournament, an eight-week contest to see which school can recycle the most. The tournament was cut short several weeks prior to the original March 28 end date, Sizemore said. Miami will be ranked among other institutions that had to end the tournament at five weeks.

volunteer-with-donated-food

Community volunteer Jeff MacDonald delivers food collected from residence halls to TOPSS.

One of the RecycleMania categories in which Miami participated — Zero Waste — involved four Central Quad residence halls competing against each other to track waste reduction and zero waste efforts.

That contest, between Hamilton, Minnich, Richards and Scott halls, generated more than 370 pounds of clothing (15 large bags), Sizemore said.

These donations are being stored until next fall for the Zero Waste Oxford student organization’s pop-up thrift store, Abowitz said.

ShareFest 2019 results: Record 107 tons of items donated

Obviously, the mini move-out donations paled in comparison to the record-setting ShareFest donations collected last year, Abowitz said. Those results were announced earlier this semester at a Oxford City Council meeting.

ShareFest 2019 generated a record 107 tons of items donated by Miami students moving out of their residences and by Oxford community members. The donations benefitted: