Three Chicano Studies students are organizing a food drive to benefit families in need. The food drive will take place Nov. 8 at Colorado State University-Pueblo’s final home football game.

Food drive organizer Kaylie Erickson, sophomore, social work major, said the idea came from a class project assignment in Professor Judy Baca’s class. The professor encouraged students to come up with an idea for the project that would benefit the community.

Erickson’s group, along with fellow students Carl Diaz, junior, social work major, and Ruth Tompkins, junior, social work major, decided to organize a football food drive.

“We will be helping out local families that are in need. As college students, we all know what it’s like to not have very much,” she said.

Erickson said she and her teammates came up with the idea when they were brainstorming for the assignment. The proximity to CSU-Pueblo’s dorms and the large number of people who will be attending the game was the perfect venue for an assignment like this, she said.

The team was considering more common ideas, such as holding a food drive outside of a Wal-Mart or other large retailer, but decided that the event should be something that people in the CSU-Pueblo community can participate in with greater ease, Erickson said.

The team partnered with the Los Pobres Sacred Hearts Church in Avondale. Erickson said that all contributions received at the football game on Nov. 8 will be donated directly to the church on the night of the game.

The church will distribute the food to low-income families who may be having a hard time with the upcoming holiday season, she said.

Erickson said students will be posted at all of the gates at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl football stadium with collection boxes. Volunteers who would like to assist in the actual gathering of the items would be most welcome.

Needed items include canned food, winter clothing in all sizes, First-Aid kits, gift cards, toys and any other non-perishable donations.

She said all students or community members who wish to make a difference in the community should make it a point to come to the game, support the CSU-Pueblo football team and do their part to help families going through a hard time.

Anyone who cannot attend the game but wish to contribute, volunteer at the food drive or for any other questions can contact Kaylie Erickson at 507-469-4325.