by JULIA HARR
Intern Lifestyles Reporter

“What can one can of food do?”

This is what Josh T. Jarman, senior public relations major, was wondering when he started a program a few weeks ago he hopes will help the community.

He calls it, “Here’s a Plan, Give a Can.”

Jarman goes to six apartment complexes on Highway 421 near his home and walks door to door asking for can donations between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Senior public relations major Josh T. Jarman is leading a new program, “Here’s a Plan, Give a Can,” to help raise food donations for the Health and Hunger Coalition. The Market in the Bookstore features a variety of cans that are eligible to be donated. Photo by Tommy Penick

“I was talking to my aunt who does a can drive at church and I started wondering what I can do to help my community,” he said. “I thought of this because it’s a way to start helping right now.”

He said he also wanted to give students a way to help that didn’t take much time or money two resources that most don’t have a lot of.

Students can donate cans even if they are not home. If a student leaves a bag of cans on the door, Jarman will collect the cans and leave the bag so students can donate again.

Jarman was able to collect 66 cans in his first week and 83 in his second.

“My ultimate goal is that this will have a snowball effect and people will start doing it at their apartments and dorms,” he said. “100 percent of this goes to the Hunger Coalition.”

During economic crisis, the need for food assistance steadily increases while donations from the community decrease.

Compton Fortuna, Health and Hunger Coalition Executive Director, estimates a 25 to 30 percent need increase compared to last year.

She said January has been one of the biggest months for HHC in terms of need for food assistance.

“It’s put a strain on the food pantry,” Fortuna said. “One of our main suppliers had to close its doors. That’s four palates of food a week we won’t get.”

In September, the coalition had to make some restrictions on assistance for citizens of Avery and Ashe counties.

Those residents should seek food assistance from similar programs in their own counties, but pharmacy assistance is still available.

“We would be struggling more. We’ve seen such an increase and I can only assume it would be higher [have] we not done that,” Fortuna said.

Fortuna said their donations have decreased because the economy has affected everyone’s ability to give, regardless of socioeconomic status.

She would love to see students get involved to help their community.

“Students could donate food or money to buy food,” she said. “Having a food drive is a big help.”

She said students living on campus don’t see the parents who have to choose between putting food on the table and paying the rent because it extends outside of town limits. She also thinks many students don’t get involved because they think one can fails to make a difference.

But that can makes a big difference to the family who receives it. It could help prevent a local family from having to make the choice between a warm meal and a warm home.

Fortuna said if every student was able to donate one can or pound of food that the results would be overwhelming.

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