American University’s food pantry, The Market, celebrated World Food Day with a week-long festival of donations and awareness from Oct. 8 through 16.
In collaboration with the University’s Spirit and Traditions Board and Fraternity and Sorority Life, The Market hosted events throughout the eight-day celebration featuring different ways to engage with other cultural foods and give back to the community.
Taylor Allgood, student support coordinator for The Market at AU and Dining Liaison, shared that volunteers and donations help students find fundamental ingredients for their cultural dishes on World Food Day.
“At AU, we have a very diverse student population with international students from all different countries,” Allgood said. “It is a day to celebrate them, and the foods that are important to them and their cultures. We can raise awareness about the different eating habits and dietary preferences of different people.”
The Market, although not meant to replace grocery shopping, offers a “supplemental source” for all students for produce, shelf-staple goods and limited hygiene products, free of cost.
The Market tabled at the World Food Day Celebration on the quad in correspondence with the University’s Spirits and Traditions Board, offering various cultural foods and drinks for students to eat between their afternoon classes.
Cuisines featured included Dominican, Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Brazilian, Jamaican, Filipino and also from Hong Kong. Food trucks also surrounded the quad, including Mexitrachos, which serves traditional Mexican and Honduran food in the D.C. area.
“I tried a Bánh mì for the first time and it was so delicious," said Amaris Devanesan, a freshman in the Kogod School of Business. “There were so many varieties of teas, especially the Vietnamese sugar cane juice and the Ethiopian spiced tea.”
Fraternity and Sorority Life also hosted a food drive on the quad on Oct. 15, while the Market hosted a food drive in the Mary Graydon Center on Oct. 16.
“We’re doing a series of donation drives, particularly to collect cultural food staples such as rice, veggies and things that are applicable for different cultures,” Allgood said. “We can stock our market with foods that will be utilized by the students who use our markets the most.”
Allgood emphasized the need to participate in donations throughout the year, no matter the quantity, as it is a “community effort” to make people feel welcome on campus.
“You can donate to our Amazon Wish List or make a monetary donation,” Allgood said. “We are always looking for students to volunteer so some hands-on support will always be appreciated.”
This article was edited by Payton Anderson, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Ariana Kavoossi and Ella Rousseau.
