Tucked away in a warehouse Friday afternoon while snow fell outside, a group of MSU graduate students scooped cereal into bags from a large crate on the floor of the Mid-Michigan Food Bank, 2116 Mint Road, in Lansing.
With each finished bag, the level of cereal slowly decreased, but the students continued scooping until the day’s end, when only a forklift could move the dozens of bags filled for people in need.
Each of the 25 students at the food bank Friday afternoon was a volunteer from either the Broad Graduate School of Management’s MBA Association or the College of Osteopathic Medicine, working together to sort through donations to the food bank.
Another 25 graduate students volunteered their time on Saturday, further helping with food bank operations while also meeting and working with students from outside their colleges.
Shannon Blakely, president of the MBA Association, was among the students working together Friday afternoon, cleaning and sorting donated shampoos, soaps and other personal hygiene items.
Blakely said working outside of an academic setting with her peers was a fun experience.
“We’re in our own little world,” she said.
“We’re so busy but so willing to help out.”
Blakely said the students helped the food bank in any way necessary during their two days of service.
The Council of Graduate Students, or COGS, has emphasized collaboration among graduate student groups this year and helped bring the two groups together for the event.
COGS President Stefan Fletcher said although COGS suggested the collaboration, the two groups took the lead in deciding which organization to volunteer for.
“We talk a lot about collaboration between grad students and fostering community service, and COGS is trying to facilitate that,” he said.
Jackie LaRouere, director of events for the College of Osteopathic Medicine Student Government Association, said this was the first time she attended an event with nonmedical students.
She said she doesn’t know many students who aren’t in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, and she was excited to meet new students in other colleges.
Fletcher also said it was good to spend time helping the food bank in particular because many graduate students utilize various food banks in the area, including the MSU Student Food Bank at Olin Health Center.
Blakely said helping out at the food bank was a special opportunity because the MBA Association often holds fundraisers for the food bank and raised a lot of money for the organization in the fall.
“It’s nice to see what that money goes to,” Blakely said.
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