President Thomas S. Monson's gentle reminder Tuesday about Paul's counsel 'It is better to give than to receive' could not have come at a better time. BYU began its annual food fight with the University of Utah two days ago, yet a quick check of some of the food bins around campus revealed many students and faculty have not yet begun to fight.
We took a walk around campus and checked nine bins on the southwest side of campus. Of those bins, we found one single, solitary can of Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable Soup. BYU, we all can do better than this. Much better.
We readily concede our spot check is not an exact representation of all the food bins around campus. In fact, Curtis Isaak said the BYU Alumni Association collected half a truckload of canned food Monday night from four bins at the Wilkinson Center. Compared with last year, we're off to a decent start, he said, but even though the fight officially ends Nov. 25, most students will be leaving campus as soon as Monday. So we encourage students and community members to give, and give now.
We understand the situation many BYU students face. We are far away from home; we're paying thousands of dollars for an education; and many of us are working part-time jobs just to break even. Within our narrow scope, it's easy to think we're destitute. But, sadly, there are those who are less fortunate than we are.
According to the Utah Food Bank Web site, more than 343,000 Utahns - most of which are children - don't know where their next meal will come from. The bank also reported a 52 percent increase in requests for emergency food assistance over the past five years. Participating in the food fight may not eradicate poverty completely in Utah, but it can make a considerable difference.
Last year, BYU and the local community collected more than 126,000 pounds of food and approximately $16,000 dollars. According to the Food Bank, every dollar generates 17 pounds of food. Imagine the difference this contribution made in the lives of so many Utahns.
There is no wrong reason to contribute to the food fight. Whether you want the satisfaction of routing the U in total donations or whether you want to make the difference in a family's life, we promise each person who participates in this food fight will walk away from it with a more personal understanding of Paul's words.