A Catamount bus parked outside the Davis Center most of Monday wasn’t waiting for passengers. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., it served as the mobile storage center for the University of Vermont's fourth annual food drive.

By the end of the day, UVM faculty and staff had lugged 3,000 pounds of non-perishable food items, destined for the Chittenden County Emergency Food Shelf, to the bus. The bus arrived at its destination a little after 5, where it was unloaded by staff from the food shelf and the university, including Bess Malson-Huddle, communications coordinator and events planner in the Office of the President, who coordinated the food drive; Jim Barr, UVM's director of transportation and parking administration; and Homer Knight, transportation services coordinator.

A highlight of this year’s drive was the participation of the College of Education and Social Services' Campus Children's Center. Accompanied by teachers and staff, 10 children, ages 10 months to five years, paraded from the center, located in the Living Learning Center across Main Street from the Davis Center, to the bus. Food items filled a large box decorated by one of the classes and two carts pushed by the oldest children. Children handed the food, often item by item, to Tom Sullivan, UVM president, and his wife, Leslie. 

“We are very grateful for the generous donations to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf that our community has made,” Sullivan said. “As one of the largest food drives in the county, the UVM donation makes a significant impact on helping families in need, especially during the holidays.”

There are currently more than 19,000 people in need of food assistance in Chittenden County. Ten percent of Vermonters visit a food shelf at some point during the year. The Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf serves nearly 12,000 people.