The Student Affairs Staff Development Committee will sponsor the fourth annual campus food drive from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. today.

Michelle Bringas, coordinator of the food drive, said local food pantries in the area are extremely low this time of winter.

“It’s kind of a meaningful way to do something on Valentine’s Day for somebody else, taking advantage of the Valentine’s Day spirit,” Bringas said.

The first food drive was fairly successful and the second year almost doubled the amount of food gathered, Bringas said.

Bringas expects this year’s food drive to be just as successful.

“Last year, we got about 180 grocery bags of food and we hope to get at least that much – if not more – this year,” she said. “We’ve had more advertising for it this year, and two of the residence halls have been doing some internal advertising for it.”

Students may drop off non-perishable goods at vans in the parking lots at the Campus Life Building, Chick Evans Field House, parking deck, Music and Art Buildings or at the lobbies of Human Resources or the Campus Child Care Center.

Donations will go to various food pantries and agencies in the area including Safe Passage, Hope Haven, Volunteer Action Center, Salvation Army, Sycamore Food Pantry and New Hope Baptist Church Food Pantry.

For more information about the food drive, call 753-1421.