By ERIN MORRISON
erin@newsroom.byu.edu
Part of the Utah Food Bank's 52,500-square-foot warehouse was occupied by eight boxes of canned food from BYU's Phi Delta Phi 'Canned Immunity' food drive.
Phi Delta Phi is an international organization that focuses on service and ethics. One major service project BYU's chapter of Phi Delta Phi does each year is collect food for the Utah Food Bank in their 'Canned Immunity' drive.
Alyssa Englund, president of Phi Delta Phi, from Sandy and a second-year law student, said Phi Delta Phi's collection this year was large in comparison to past years.
'We donated about $150 and over 400 cans,' she said.
'Canned Immunity' was a contest where law students who bought cans of food did not have to answer questions in class.
Englund said they earned over $400, but after costs of the food they donated the $150.
Englund said before Phi Delta Phi started the food drive, she called the Utah Food Bank to find out what kind of food was needed.
'This year they have especially low food in storage. ... They were in need of more protein foods,' Englund said.
Because of the necessity of protein, Phi Delta Phi tried to buy lots of beef stews, tuna fish and beans, as well as the less expensive canned vegetables and fruit, she said.
Englund said Friday was Phi Delta Phi's best day in terms of sales, with 125 cans sold.
'We more than doubled our best day on Friday. Before that our high day was 68,' she said.
Brett Scharffs, professor in the law school, taught his second-year business association class on Friday without any participation from his students.
He was part of the huge success on Friday, Englund said. She had to go the store and buy two extra cases of canned food before Scharffs taught his class because his students were buying so much food.
Scharffs said his class has about 120 students, and he encouraged them all to buy cans of food.
Scharffs teaches class by the Socratic method, which is conducting class by asking questions, he said.
He said he challenges his students every year to each bring a can to his class, because he wants them to start the habit of helping now, even when they are struggling students.
'It's easy to say I will be generous when I become wealthy,' Scharffs said.
According to the Utah Food Bank's Web site at www.utahfoodbank.org, 200,000 Utahns live below the federal poverty level. The Utah Food Bank helps 220 charitable agencies across the state, according to the Web site.
Alaska Turner, a member of the presidency of Phi Delta Phi, and a second-year law student, delivered the food and money in behalf of the BYU organization.
She said she enjoyed the reminder to notice the needs of others in the state, especially during the rush of finals and Christmas.
'It renews one's faith in humanity as you see so many people sharing what they have,' Turner said.