Today@Sam Article
SHSU Food Pantry Receives Donations From Kiewit
Dec. 21, 2020
SHSU Media Contact: Wes Hamilton
Written by: Karen Leonhart
The season of giving does not slow down due to a global pandemic. People nationwide are coming together now more than ever to provide support to communities in need. Kiewit, one of North America’s largest construction and engineering organizations, is dedicated to making an impact across the country. Recently, Kiewit donated 100 pounds of food, along with a financial contribution to the SHSU Food Pantry at Sam Houston State University.
“We might be a nationwide company now, but we started as a mom and pop shop over 100 years ago and it is important to us to give back. Every year we pick an organization within the community that we are working in and we make a charitable contribution,” said Jodi Dees, Kiewit representative. “I was so excited to nominate the SHSU Food Pantry because it really serviced the SHSU student community and within that community, could be future Kiewit engineers. One of the reasons why we chose Sam Houston to donate to is because of the engineering program. We have a history of hiring engineers right from school, starting with their internship program which turns into careers. We are very proud to foster a culture of family.”
The employee-owned company operates through a network of subsidiaries in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The donation comes together by partnering with all the subcontractors working project wide, including contributions from Entergy, New South, Michels, and Power Engineers.
“We rely entirely on donations at the Food Pantry. Donations like this keep us going and then the financial contributions allow us to fill in the gaps of items that we are running low on at the time,” said Kathleen Gilbert, project coordinator and SHSU Food Pantry adviser in the College of Health Sciences. “The Food Pantry has continued to host a steady flow of patronage over the semester with approximately 50% of the students using the Food Pantry services for the first time.”
The Food Pantry is run by the Food Pantry@SHSU student organization to address the issue of food insecurity among students who may not have the extra resources to purchase food for themselves. The Food Pantry is fully supported by community donations, both food based and financial. If you are interested in joining the “Adopt a Pantry” movement, you can visit https://www.shsu.edu/academics/health-sciences/food-pantry/support.
“We appreciate the generous donations that Thomas Finch, Alan Laubert, and Jodi Dees presented the SHSU Food Pantry, on behalf of Kiewit Corporation. Director Kathleen Gilbert and her team will leverage this gift to best assist our students in need,” said Rodney Runyan, dean of the College of Health Sciences.
For more updates or to find out how you can help the SHSU Food Pantry be sure to follow @shsu_foodpantry on social media.
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