Sweet Potato Drop

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Join the Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement in hosting USM’s annual Sweet Potato Drop. On October 7th, 2021, Eagles will take part in bringing back one of Southern favorite past times of giving back to our community through addressing and raising awareness about food insecurity in the Pine Belt by participating in our Sweet Potato Drop event from 11 AM to 2 PM on Memorial Drive (right in front of R. C. Cook Union (behind the Walker Science building, across from Barnes & Nobles). 

On Thursday morning, an 18-wheeler loaded with sweet potatoes will deposit approximately 20,000 pounds of sweet potatoes onto Memorial Drive and from 11 am to 2 pm, volunteers are invited to bag the sweet potatoes into individual family-sized sacks, which will be donated to several local organizations, including Edwards Street Fellowship Center, The Salvation Army of Hattiesburg, USM's Eagle Nest Food Pantry, Christian Services and many more. 

The drop is arranged through The Society of St. Andrew, which salvages produce that is rejected by commercial markets because of slight imperfections in size, shape, sugar content, or surface blemishes.

The USM Office of Sustainability will be on hand during the drop to provide educational materials regarding food waste. Food waste is the highest component of landfills, which in turn are the largest contributors of methane emissions. The Sweet Potato Drop is held as part of USM Homecoming activities.

For more information, contact Christina Bracey, Events and Volunteerism Coordinator at Christina.BraceyFREEMississippi or by phone at 601.266.5081 or Nneka Ayozie, Assistant Director at Nneka.AyozieFREEMississippi or by phone at 601.266.5725.