Linn-Benton "Can the Deans"

Faculty participate in a month long donation drive to help community

Linn-Benton’s “Can the Deans” was an April to May food drive to support Linn-Benton LunchBox and the Linn-Benton Food Share. Staff and faculty brought canned goods to the dean of choice, and filled bins full with donations. The event started on Wednesday, April 1 and ended on Thursday, April 30.

Drop-off locations were the offices of Katie Winder North Santiam Hall 101, Andrew Feldman White Oak Hall 107, Jason Kovac Willamette Hall 218, Ann Buchele Willamette Hall 120, Leslie Hammond Forum 121, Lynne Cox Takena 107, Bruce Clemetsen Takena 107A, and Dave Henderson Calapooia Center 133.  

Linn-Benton Lunch Box is an emergency food program for students in need. It is available to any registered LBCC students and provides meals for up to a family of eight.

“I like to support efforts to reduce food insecurity in our community,” said Leslie Hammond, dean of student engagement.

Linn-Benton Food Share has been feeding Linn and Benton counties for more than 30 years. They work closely with local non-profit groups in both counties. Last year Food Share distributed 5.4 million pounds of food to 74 member agencies.

Each department’s bins were collected on Friday, May 1 to be counted by SLC members.

Donating canned goods and nonperishable items is another way a community can be “Charitable and giving everyday,” according to Feldman.

Heavy contributors for the drive were Nathan Miller, biology instructor, and Sheri Rogers, mathematics instructor.

“I chose to donate to the "Can the Deans" food drive because I know that my donations will go directly to LBCC students and their families and possibly help them along their way to success here. At this point in my life, I have the means to help others and am glad that I can do so,” said Rogers.

Located in the Learning Center, faculty pasted a picture of Dean Kovac’s head to Albert Einstein’s body next to the Academic Foundations Division donation bin. Dean Kovac told fellow members of staff that he would match all donations brought in. He matched close to 300 items.

The grand total for items donated from all departments was 1,197. The first place winner was Jason Kovac with a total of 639 items donated. The second place winner was Leslie Hammond with 260 items donated, and third place winner was Lynne Cox with 120 items donated.

Dean Kovac enjoyed the friendly competition among his fellow faculty members.

“It was fun and good for the world,” said Kovac.

Faculty took this as an opportunity to make this a friendly competition among each other. Dean Hammond and other faculty members snuck into Dean Kovacs bin and snuck some goods to help said dean’s bins out. It’s all for the fun of friendly competition and the greater good of donation to the community.