OTC’s SIFE groups begin month-long food drive

Danna Lunday has three passions in life: her family, OTC’s Students in Free Enterprise and collecting food for the hungry.

Lunday, SIFE’s vice president, is so passionate about the organization and the food drive that she couldn’t wait to get out of a hospital bed last year, when she was treated for a medical issue, and head up this year’s SIFE food drive.

“While I was in the hospital, I saw a television report about the need for food in the area. When I was in SIFE two years ago, I volunteered for the food drive. This year, I wanted to do more,” she said.

The drive, entitled “Let’s Can Hunger Challenge,” has begun and continues through Oct. 18 at the Springfield and Richwood Valley campuses. The OTC Branson Center chapter of SIFE takes over after that and continues the campaign through Oct. 31.

Lunday, who is studying business and hopes to transfer to a four-year university in May, is so committed to the drive that she even has convinced some of the doctors who treated her to allow their offices to be collection points for their patients who want to donate food.

“We can have an impact,” said Lunday, mother of five from Fair Grove. “We have 15,000 students at OTC. If everyone brings one can of food, we can do a lot of good.”

This year’s goal is to collect 15,212 pounds of food between the OTC Springfield and Richwood Valley campuses. That’s equal to one pound of food per person enrolled at OTC.

Donations will go to the Christian County Family Crisis Center, the Least of These Food Pantry and the Ozarks Food Harvest.

Last year, SIFE collected more than 21,000 pounds, enough to feed 16,150 people.

“With today’s economy and with what happened in Joplin, there is a real need for this type of food drive,” Lunday said.

The public can contribute to the drive by bringing food to room 114 in Graff Hall on the Springfield campus or to the Student Services area at the Richwood Valley campus. More information is available at 447-8981 or by emailing sife@otc.edu.

Food can be brought to the Branson campus starting Oct. 17. From Oct. 28-30, food can be brought to the Country Marts in Hollister and Forsyth, the Harter House in Hollister and the two Wal-Mart Supercenters in Branson and Branson West.

Steve Koehler is coordinator of media releations at Ozarks Technical Community College.