Mortar Board

It’s almost that time of year again: costumes, a concert, and let’s not forget, Trick-or-Treating for Canned Goods. Last Halloween hundreds of Carleton students collected 4,450 pounds of food for the Northfield Community Action Center Food Shelf from the Northfield community. The CAC Food Shelf currently serves over 430 Northfield families, and in facing this critical need as a community, we endeavor to collect more food than ever this year. Many students, Northfield citizens, and organizations on and off campus have already banded together in this effort, but to make this event a success, we will need more student volunteers, and, of course, donations of nonperishable food.

If you are a student, you still have time to sign up to trick-or-treat, ideally by Saturday, October 24. Remember, the team that collects the most items per capita wins dinner with President Oden! Second- and third-place teams win other treats, including gift certificates for eateries in Northfield. Teams can trick-or-treat anytime between 5:30 and 9:00PM on Halloween, so you will have plenty of time to get back for Carleton’s events in the evening. E-mail Lisa (ottol@carleton.edu) with your name and contact information, and, your teammates’ as well, if you wish to sign up as a team. Include in your e-mail if one of you can provide your own car or drive a campus vehicle; we especially need people who can help transport their fellow student volunteers!

If you live in Northfield and wish to help, students will be canvassing the town to collect your donation between 5:30 and 9:00PM on Halloween, Saturday, October 31. We will gladly accept any nonperishable good, but if you wish to purchase something specially, the Food Shelf could especially use canned fruit, peanut butter, tuna and other canned meat, soup, rice, pasta, meal helpers, spaghetti sauce, dry or canned beans, granola, fruit, or snack bars, tomato sauce, canned vegetables, baby food and formula, diapers, and paper products. Due to significant donations by the Malt-O-Meal Company, you need not provide breakfast cereal.

This year, Carleton Varsity Athletics have joined the collection effort by accepting canned goods at their games until Halloween, and also at their Halloween Knight Carnival for children on Sunday, October 25 (http://apps.carleton.edu/athletics/?story_id=575482). So, anyone may also donate at these events. Support the Knights!

You can find more information about the Northfield CAC Food Shelf on their website at http://www.communityactioncenter.org/programs/food. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Chelsea Clifford at clifforc@carleton.edu.