The University of New Mexico-Gallup Staff Council is planning a donation drive Feb. 12-16 as part of BeKind UNM Week to collect food for students and the local pantry as well as stuffed animals and blankets for law enforcement agencies.
The UNM-G Staff Council is seeking donations of the following items:
- 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 Gallup 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 Gallup as well as UNM-G’s new Basic Needs Peer Navigator Program.
UNM-Gallup 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 UNM-Gallup is high, as evidenced by the results of a statewide survey conducted by the UNM Basic Needs Project in 2023.
A total of 485 students, faculty and staff at UNM-Gallup responded to the survey. According to the results, 49% of UNM-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 UNM-Gallup 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 UNM-Gallup campus.
