With assistance from a Breaking Ground Grant from UMBC, the Asian Studies Program at UMBC has started a Food Pantry for low-income Asian senior citizens at Longwood Apartments in Columbia, Maryland.  Asian Studies student interns enrolled in ASIA 399 are working on the Food Pantry and are translating for the Chinese and Korean residents at the building.  The Asian Studies Council of Majors (ASCOM) is also assisting.

This is a wonderful learning experience for our students, but we need your help!  Last semester we had 20 residents requesting food.  This semester it has jumped to 90 residents -- over a 400% increase!  We are collecting non-perishable Asian and non-Asian food donations year round from our campus. 

Look for the red collection boxes on the first floor of the Administration Building, Commons by the reception desk, the RAC, The Shriver Center in Public Policy and the first floor of the University Center.

Suggested items are:

Asian noodles (ramen, potato, cellophane, rice noodles, etc.)
Seaweed

Canned tuna

Spam

Canned mackerel

Peanuts

Soybeans

Canned fruit packed in its own juice

Canned vegetables (water chestnuts, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots especially appreciated)

Again, we accept any type of non-perishable food donations.  The food collection is ongoing as we are trying to deliver food on a monthly basis, if we can collect enough food.

If you would like to request a collection box for your building, please contact Julie Rosenthal (x52094 or julier@umbc.edu).  We will also pick up large non-perishable food donations.

Thank you for your support!!