Dear Members of the CMU Community,

Words cannot express how grateful we are for your collective generosity in support of our 27^th Annual Food Drive. Your contributions have set yet another record in our 27-year history. In a short span of time, we contributed the following:

• Total dollars raised: $81,436.27
• Total lbs: 2,419 (including can openers)
• Can Openers: 285 (donated to our CMU Food Pantry)

Using the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s formula to convert dollars to pounds and adding that figure to our cash total, our grand total raised this year is an incredible $84,460.02.

This is our most successful drive in CMU history, and we cannot thank you enough for your generosity! During this year’s drive, we quickly surpassed five online giving goals and exceeded our goal of 100 can openers at the first drive and drop event.

Our collective financial support alone will help provide 407,181 meals to our neighbors in need this holiday season. During a time of so much distress and hardship, we’ve come together to do a wonderful thing for our own students, as well as neighbors in need in the greater Pittsburgh area. We have truly set the standard for compassion and generosity to help end hunger and food insecurity in the region.

The bar has been set high for our 28^th annual food drive in the fall of 2021. Given this year’s results, you’ve all shown that anything is possible!

Thank you, again.

Sincerely,

Jim Garrett
Provost
Honorary Chair of the 2020 CMU Community Food Drive

Carole Panno
Associate Director of Gift Planning, University Advancement
Staff Council Food Drive Committee Chair

For nearly three decades, Carnegie Mellon University has run one of the highest grossing food drives in the City of Pittsburgh, contributing more than $128,000 and almost 76 TONS of non-perishables to support those in need. The university is motivated each year to keep this tradition alive because we care about our community and want to ensure that nobody in the Greater Pittsburgh area goes hungry.

Given the current challenges many Pittsburghers are facing due to COVID-19, we are more determined than ever to raise as much as possible this year and we hope you will join us. Like most organizations, we have gone virtual for the most part. Gifts can be made directly through this page or by texting to 50155, entering CMUGives and adding a donation amount of your choice.

CMU’s Annual Food Drive attributes much of its past success to the friendly spirit of competition infused in our drive. Consider creating a team with fellow friends and co-workers to help make it fun or you can give to an existing team. Please note: a minimum goal of $500 must be set in order to establish a team – a constraint of the giving platform. So, don’t worry if you want to establish a team but feel this is a stretch…all gifts and team contributions are important!

In 2019, we raised $28,787.41 and 6,805.3 pounds of non-perishables. With a focus on dollars this year, please consider a gift in any amount to help us make up for the non-perishables we won’t be able to collect due to health and safety concerns. All proceeds will benefit the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Thank you for your support and for making a difference in our community! For questions, please contact Food Drive Committee Chair, Carole Panno.