Since 1994, members of WPI’s Lambda Chi Alpha chapter have spent the Saturday before Thanksgiving collecting food for Friendly House, a family assistance agency in Worcester. The work has had a real impact: over the past 26 years, nearly 2.5 million pounds of food has been collected and donated.
“Every year, we drop off 10,000 empty grocery bags to homes near WPI,” said Brandon Rein, Lambda Chi Alpha philanthropy chair. “And every year, we think maybe we will get a few bags filled. But without fail, when we drive around to pick them up, we are amazed by the generosity of our neighbors.”
This year’s goal was ambitious: 300,000 pounds of non-perishable items—which they met. If that number seems staggering, so is the need: 500 Friendly House families have signed up to receive the donations.
“We have come to rely on WPI and Lambda Chi Alpha for their donations,” said Michael Moreshead, assistant to the executive director at Friendly House. “As one of our longest-running supporters, they continue to meet our growing needs and this year was no exception.”