A huge thank you to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for collecting over 3,500 non-perishable food items for Retriever Essentials (retrieveressentials.umbc.edu) at UMBC.

What happens on our UMBC campus when you put out a call at 8 p.m. the night before that you need volunteers to help move all of this food across campus? Take at look at the photos to see how our phenomenal UMBC community of Retrievers comes together at a moments notice to help others in need!!

Thank you to everyone who donated food, to SAAC, UMBC athletes, faculty and staff and to all of our volunteers. Together we moved thousands of pounds of food across campus in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Go Retrievers!!!

We at Retriever Essentials would like to express our heartiest gratitude to all our collaborators and guests who made UMBC’s first Home for the Holidays event a reality. The event offered a communal atmosphere to UMBC members who cannot travel back home or did not have family living in proximity during this holiday break. The event was celebrated on Thanksgiving Day, November 28^th. 

Through the support of Chartwells team, True Grits Dining Hall became the “home” and through the contributions from the collaborators, the community became one big family. The collaborators brought various food items ranging from classic Thanksgiving dishes to international cuisines. OCA Mocha brought in its fresh coffee to warm up the guest on the cold windy afternoon. The event also included fun activities like board games, arts and craft time, letter writing, and music. The event concluded with a raffle contest where our guest won giveaways and goodies. 

Home for the Holidays brought the campus community together and provided a warmhearted holiday experience to its attendees. We thank all of those who participated in the event and hope that Home for the Holidays continues to become yet another inclusive tradition at UMBC. 

Our key collaborators were: Academic Success Center, Campus Dining Services, English Language Institute, Financial Literacy Committee, Off-Campus Student Services, Office for Academic and Pre-Professional Advising, OCA Mocha, SAHAP Department, Student Government Association, The Campus Police, The Registrar’s Office, The Shriver Center, and UMBC Sustainability.

Here is a recap of the event: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UzdKkwIMStEmsT0n0yP6WZBcTT1nvLD7/view

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