Seton Hill University has won the 2017 Campus Challenge Food Drive benefitting the Westmoreland County Food Bank after the Seton Hill community donated 1,775 pounds of food in the last days of the academic year.

Seton Hill students, faculty and staff donated nearly double the amount of food they did in the 2016 Challenge.

“Time and again, Seton Hill students, along with faculty and staff,  show their commitment to helping others, and the Campus Challenge Food Drive is no exception,” said Assistant Director of Residence Life Jenna Konyak, who coordinated Seton Hill’s efforts. “By doubling the amount of food donated in one year’s time, the Seton Hill community is making a direct impact on the lives of children, families and the elderly in Westmoreland County.”

Konyak worked with Resident Directors Lauren Zahour and Christina Qawasmy as well as students who serve as Resident Assistants to promote the food drive and collect the donated goods. 

In addition, Seton Hill adjunct business professor Christopher Mintus, who works for Supervalu, a company that supplies area Shop ‘n Save grocery stores, secured a donation from Shop ‘n Save matching the first 250 pounds of food Seton Hill collected.

Since 2009, college campuses in Westmoreland County have held this friendly competition during the last two weeks of their semesters. Students moving out of residence halls or apartments are encouraged to donate their nonperishable food items to the Food Bank instead of throwing them away or packing them up to take home.

This year, the five Westmoreland County campuses that participated in the drive donated more than 4,000 pounds of food to the Food Bank. The drive will help more than 7,000 households feed their families for several months through distribution at the Food Bank’s network of more than 40 food pantries in the county.

Other schools participating included the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, which donated 1,397 pounds; Westmoreland County Community College with 380 pounds donated; St. Vincent College, which provided 370 pounds of food; and Penn State New Kensington with 155 pounds donated to the Food Bank.