Cross & Crescent

The holiday season is fun for many. Sadly, there are those who are not fortunate enough to have the necessary food, clothing, and shelter to sustain them.

It’s also a time of increased demand for local charities, which normally have more people come in during the holidays.

Thankfully, hope abounds when members are willing to give of themselves to support those with needs in their local communities.

This year, Lambda Chi Alpha collected more than three million pounds of food for the 2005 North American Food Drive. This is the most food we’ve collected in a given year since the food drive’s inception in 1992.

Food collected by our chapters directly supports the hungry and needy within their local community. Participating chapters typically gather money or canned food from local merchants and neighbors, only to donate all proceeds to a local food bank, shelter, or charity.

For some shelters, Lambda Chi Alpha’s NAFD is their single-largest source of charity they receive and rely on each year.

Member Mail

More than 100 chapters and colonies took part in our food drive this year. Each can of food they collect not only feeds someone in need, but raises the awareness that helping those in need is something Lambda Chi Alpha is committed to doing.

“Brothers Feeding Others” is more than a slogan; it is the embodiment of the true principles upon which we were founded.

No more clearly are our principles exemplified than in the reactions and stories of our members who took part in this year’s North American Food Drive.

Vihn Tu (Texas-San Antonio 2000)

The gentlemen at the Texas at San Antonio (Phi-Upsilon) and Incarnate Word (Pi-Epsilon) chapters raised more than 370,000 pounds of food for the North American Food Drive on Saturday, November 5, 2005.

More than 75 members from both chapters, along with sorority members from Sigma Kappa and Alpha Sigma Alpha, participated in the event raising more than $40,000 to benefit the San Antonio Food Bank.

Joe Cleary (Western Carolina 1992)

Joe Cleary in Sarasota, Florida continues to support his chapter by collecting and donating food on behalf of the chapter.

This year, Cleary and his family collected more than 500 pounds of food. During the past seven years, he has collected more than 2,500 pounds of food to support local charities.

James Plummer (Marietta 2007)

We nearly doubled our totals from the year prior. We all are excited to have collected well beyond anything we had ever expected.

David Hayward (Louisiana-Lafayette 2007)

We had a blast with the Food Drive this year and we’re looking forward to next year!

Anthony Ferrara (Kutztown-Pennsylvania 2006)

We started a “skip-a-meal program” through our university’s food services that helped us collect more than $800. Our continued involvement with the local Rotary Club also contributed to our highest collection total to date.

24 Million Pounds of Food Collected

Since its inception 13 years ago, 220 chapters and colonies have taken part in the North American Food Drive; collecting more than 24-million pounds of food.

That’s enough food to fill 600 semi-trailers, feed a full-grown blue whale for 33 years, or feed 55,000 people in a single year. If all 24-million pounds of food came in cans, we’d be able to place 36 million cans end-to-end from New York City to Los Angeles.

Each year, our office receives many letters of appreciation from the charities and food banks that have grown to rely on the generosity of our members.

Yorkfield Presbyterian Church (Elmhurst, Illinois)

“I want to thank the Pi-Zeta chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha at Elmhurst College for once again organizing a Food Drive to benefit the Yorkfield Presbyterian Church Food Pantry. Their donations have helped supply many local families with nutritious food. We are able to fulfill our mission because of the continued generosity of individuals and organizations like yours in our community.”

Second Harvest Food Bank (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

“Our sincerest thanks to you and everyone, who supported the UNCG Katrina Relief Drive, for all your good work to lend aid to those struggling to recover from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Our sincere appreciation to you for your leadership in this effort to comfort and sustain those who are now working so hard to rebuild their lives.”

Union Mission Ministries (Norfolk, Virginia)

“We’d like to acknowledge the generosity of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity on the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. It is friends like these young people who help us touch the lives of the least and the lost of our community.”

Big Changes Start Small (Aiken, South Carolina)

“The USC-Aiken chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha collaborated with us in the food drive and helped us collect a record setting 322,785 pounds of food. Our success is due in no small part to their involvement, dedication, and responsibility. They lived up to the motto “Brothers Feeding Others.”

Making an Impact in Our Communities

The time and energy put into the North American Food Drive is returned exponentially in the happiness and joy that our efforts bring to the community.

Lambda Chi Alpha is able to give to those less fortunate through a simple act that provides people immediate strength to approach the day, hope that tomorrow is going to be better than today, and faith in the idea that people do care about others and are willing and able to lend a hand.

“Brothers Feeding Others” is more than a slogan, it’s the largest single-day collegiate philanthropy in the world. This is the first year our chapters’ combined total exceeded three million pounds of food.

This year, the average number of pounds collected per chapter experienced a 77 percent increase. Though the number of participating chapters dropped, the total amount collected soared.

Each year, our chapters manage to collect food for the needy. To view how well your chapter participated, visit www.lambdachi.org.