ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ-ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Staff Council members pose for a photo with staff at the Community Pantry in ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ after dropping off food donations March 31, 2023, as part of BeKind ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Week.
ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ campus celebrates BeKind ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Week
Categories: Students Faculty Staff Community
Staff Council organizes donation drive to benefit students and community partners
By Richard Reyes, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024 
GALLUP, N.M. — The University of New Mexico-ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Staff Council is planning a donation drive Feb. 12-16 as part of BeKind ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Week to collect food for students and the local pantry as well as stuffed animals and blankets for law enforcement agencies.
The trip gave ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ-ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ representatives the opportunity to reconnect with legislators, advocate for important initiatives, support community partners, and highlight local achievements.
- Canned food items.
- Non-perishable food items.
- Easy-to-open, small-serving food items that can easily fit into a bag or backpack.
- New or gently used stuffed animals.
- New or gently used blankets.
The stuffed animals and blankets will be delivered to the ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Police Department and McKinley County Sheriff’s Office to be used by officers during interactions with children or individuals experiencing homelessness.
The food items will be delivered to the Community Pantry in ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ as well as ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ-G’s new Basic Needs Peer Navigator Program.
ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ-ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ recently hired two basic needs peer navigators to help address food insecurity and housing insecurity among the student population. The peer navigators are students whose job is to help fellow students find local resources they may need to become more successful in school.
The need for student support services at ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ-ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ is high, as evidenced by the results of a statewide survey conducted by the ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Basic Needs Project in 2023.
ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ-ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Staff Council members pose for a photo with the ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Police Department after dropping off stuffed animal donations March 7, 2023, as part of BeKind ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Week.
A total of 485 students, faculty and staff at ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ-ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ responded to the survey. According to the results, 49% of ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ-G students experienced food insecurity during the 30 days prior to when they took the survey, 52% experienced housing insecurity during the prior 12 months, and 12% experienced homelessness in the prior 12 months.
The BeKind donation drive is just one small way the Staff Council is trying to help address the issue while ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ-ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ as an institution kicks off its Basic Needs Peer Navigator Program.
To donate, find a BeKind drop-off box in the Public Relations office, Gurley Hall 1210, at the ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ-ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ campus.
Information: Richard Reyes, 505-863-7542 or richardreyes12@unm.edu
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