NEW ORLEANS – Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Sun Belt Conference’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) leaders executed the group's annual “Let’s SAAC Hunger” campaign aimed at impacting each university’s local community through a fall food drive or volunteering at a food shelter.
 
A list of those events and initiatives during the month of November can be found below:
 
Arkansas State
Donations: On-Campus Food Pantry
Description of Event: Red Wolves SAAC members held a food drive during a home women’s volleyball game in addition to men’s and women’s basketball games. Donations of canned goods were distributed to the Jonesboro community.
 
Coastal Carolina
Organization: Shephard’s Table
Description of Event: Coastal Carolina University SAAC worked with the athletics department to organize and collect canned food to donate to Shepard’s Table - a local food bank and soup kitchen. SAAC was able to collect over 1,200 pounds of non-perishable food items at a basketball game. Student-athletes also assisted in loading the donations to bring to the organization.
 
Georgia Southern
Donations: Statesboro Food Bank
Description of location where food will be donated: Eagle SAAC members conducted collections at women's volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball games and one home football game. The food cans collected were delivered to the Statesboro Food Bank.
 
James Madison
Donations: Harrisonburg Rockingham Social Services: Adult Protective Services Unit; Hope Distributed
Description of location where food will be donated: Student-athletes and staff banded together to donate over 350 gallons of non-perishable food items, personal hygiene items, and household kitchen items for individuals supported by HRSS. Additionally, JMU’s football team committed to two in-person volunteer experiences with Hope Distributed, a nonprofit organization with three distinct branches of operation: a Food Pantry, a free Clothing Store and Baby Hope free baby supplies.
 
Louisiana
Donations: Second Harvest Food Bank
Description of Event: Ragin’ Cajuns SAAC members volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank, which fights hunger and supports the community through programs that include connecting people with food, advocating for policies to end hunger, providing disaster response and educating the public.
 
Marshall
Organization: Facing Hunger Foodbank
Description of Event: In response to the growing need for food assistance in the Huntington region, Marshall University’s SAAC organized two volunteer events at Facing Hunger Foodbank. With limited staff and rising demand, the organization called for volunteers to help package and distribute food to households in need. SAAC recognized this urgent need and mobilized student-athletes to assist. Facing Hunger Foodbank feeds nearly 130,000 people each year in 17 counties across West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.
 
Old Dominion
Organization: Norfolk Public Schools
Description of Event: As part of the Monarchs Give Back Campaign, SAAC members collected food at football, women’s soccer and men’s soccer games during the week of Oct 27. Food went to designated Norfolk Public Schools that were identified as needed resources. Old Dominion set up a bagging station at five area schools, and families were able to bag for food items. Food was delivered to the school’s food pantry for students in need.
 
South Alabama
Donations: Jag Pantry
Description of Event: The Jag Pantry is the university’s food pantry with donations are available to University of South Alabama students. The Jag Pantry’s mission is to combat food insecurity on campus and be a resource for students to help them achieve their collegiate goals. South Alabama SAAC held a competition across all athletics teams to see who could gather the most donations.
 
Southern Mississippi
Donations: Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry
Description of location where food will be donated: The Eagle's Nest Food Pantry offers on-campus resources for Southern Miss students and staff who are temporarily facing challenges in accessing necessities, including food. Its mission is to fight food insecurity on campus and serves students, faculty and staff of the University of Southern Mississippi who are facing food insecurity. The pantry is located in the basement of The Hub on the Hattiesburg campus and receives donations from individuals and organizations who stock its shelves for distribution to campus members in need.
 
Troy
Donations: Trojan Pantry
Description of Event: Troy SAAC hosted a canned food drive at men's and women's home basketball games. Ticket vouchers were offered to attend a home basketball game in December to anyone who donated. After collecting over 300 cans, they were donated to the university campus pantry for students in need.