Among the costumed ghouls and goblins haunting Austin neighborhoods this month will be Cockrell School engineering students pursuing a good cause. Two weeks before Halloween each year, hundreds of student members of engineering organizations fan out across the city to collect food for the Capital Area Food Bank.
The tradition ranks among the area’s largest food drives among the food bank’s more than 600 drives a year. Last year the students collected enough food for 10,843 meals.
Taylor Castello, a senior chemical engineering student and vice president of the Student Engineering Council which organizes the event, has worked at the collection trailer several years.
“The most rewarding aspect would have to be getting to make such a large impact for food collection in Austin during one of the most important times, the holiday season. Seeing all the cans come in and fill the trailer sent over by the Capital Area Food Bank really demonstrates students care for our community.”
This year’s effort began when students distributed 1,000 paper grocery bags on Austin neighborhood doorsteps Oct.15. The students will return to local homes this weekend to collect filled bags and deliver them to the Capital Area Food Bank’s trailer, parked on campus just for the event.
In addition to the reward of helping people in need, the volunteers turning in their food donations on campus find a Halloween party hosted by the Student Engineering Council. Collectors receive prizes for the engineering student society collecting the most food, the individual collecting the most food and the best-costumed collector.
