Northwestern Food Drive Contest for Campus Cabinet Established as Day of Kindness Project

October 31, 2025

Damonta Jones, a Midwest City freshman majoring in sociology, volunteers at the Northwestern Campus Cabinet Food Pantry in Alva to fulfill hours needed for a Habitudes Class.

The Northwestern Campus Cabinet Food Pantry in Alva has numerous student volunteers who help each semester with various tasks. Here, students Ella Porter, Elk City sophomore majoring in Health and Sports Science Education (HSSE); Carson Schanbacher, Cherokee sophomore majoring in HSSE; Clarence Miller, Edmond junior majoring in HSSE; and Damonta Jones, Midwest City freshman majoring in sociology, are earning hours for a Habitudes class by filling a food order for a pantry client.

ALVA, Okla. -- In association with the Nov. 14 Day of Kindness in Northwest Oklahoma event that Northwestern Oklahoma State University and area communities participate in, a project to benefit the university’s Campus Cabinet Food Pantries in Alva, Enid and Woodward has been added.

All three of Northwestern’s campuses will be participating in campus-wide food drives for their respective campus locations now through Nov. 14.

The contest for the groups collecting the most pounds of food and other necessary products is open to various organizations, clubs, athletic teams, academic departments and programs, individual classes, groups of friends, and more.

Groups participating in the contest must register their intentions to participate in both the Day of Kindness event and the food drive soon by using the form at www.nwosu.edu/day-of-kindness-nw-ok. Groups will explain how they plan to collect their donations.

Prizes will be awarded to the group bringing in the most pounds of products.

The Campus Cabinet Food Pantry is setting a goal of collecting 1,000 pounds of product.

Angelia Case, coordinator of the Campus Cabinet on the Alva campus, explained that with about five weeks left in the fall semester, a weekly average of more than 156 pounds of food is being distributed from the Alva pantry, with some weeks seeing higher distributions than others. The Alva pantry is also spending an average of $759 a month this semester to purchase items to keep the pantry stocked for university students and employees in need.

“We want to be helpful to our friends at the Enid and Woodward Campus Cabinets as well,” Case said. “Their needs may be a bit different from ours in Alva, but we hope they will be able to add items to their campus food pantries by way of this campus-wide food drive, too.”

Case said that at the conclusion of the drive, the various groups at the Alva campus that registered will schedule a time with her to take their collections to the pantry location in Shockley Hall.

In Enid, donations may be dropped off at the front office any time during regular office hours. For any questions, please contact Kristy Davidson, Enid administrative assistant, at kldavidson@nwosu.edu or (580) 213-3101.

Groups participating in Woodward will schedule a time to weigh in with Rachel Hopkins, campus coordinator. She may be reached at rahopkins@nwosu.edu or (580) 254-2502. Dr. Jonathan Thomason, dean of the Woodward campus, is also available to answer any questions at jethomason@nwosu.edu or (580) 254-2501.

Needs are similar but different at each campus pantry. In Alva, the pantry welcomes many different shelf-stable foods, as well as personal hygiene items, sheets, pillows, coats, gloves and school supplies.

Items most needed at the Enid and Woodward campuses include canned soups/pastas and other individual meals, powdered milk, fruit cups, peanut butter/cheese crackers, hygiene products plus diapers.

Additional information about the Alva pantry, including a Most Needed Items List, is available at www.nwosu.edu/campus-cabinet. The food form on this web page will provide the types of foods that are available for selection each week at the Alva campus. Students in Enid and Woodward should visit their respective office leaders for help from their pantry locations.

Community members who would like to help a favorite group should donate products directly to them or contact Case to donate products or tax-deductible monetary donations. A link to two online purchasing “Wish Lists” is also available on the web page, where donations may be purchased and sent directly to the Alva campus. If donating by check, please make the check payable to the NWOSU Foundation with a notation that the donation is for the Campus Cabinet Food Pantry.

Questions about the contest or the food pantry may be directed to Case at (580) 327-8577 or arcase@nwosu.edu.

-NW-