Keeping up with giving traditions during a pandemic is a little tricky. Rising to the challenge, Chattanooga State employees and students in foreign language classes and from El Club de Español and LASO (Latin American Student Organization) joined forces by collecting 820 donated food items. This year, 25 boxes of food were delivered to LaPaz Chattanooga, the leading organization that promotes inclusion of the Hispanic community in Southeast Tennessee. Food staples that did not fit into the boxes for LaPaz were donated to the Tiger Cupboard, Chattanooga State’s food pantry that provides short-term emergency help to those who struggle with food insecurity.

Katheryn Thompson, professor of Spanish, leads this annual food drive for LaPaz at Chattanooga State. “As this was the first semester back on campus following the Covid shutdown, we had fewer boxes to deliver,” stated Thompson. “In the past, we normally delivered more than 40 boxes of food, so we will have to regrow to that point.” 

Principal students involved in the 2021 drive included Violet DeCredico, president of El Club de Español and foreign language students Samuel Jeffrey, Abigail Bateman, Andrew Wilson and Madeline Lewis. LASO members, Nakota and Selena Jude, were on hand to help pack up and transport the items to LaPaz.