Press Releases

November 18, 1999
Southampton College Students Lead Thanksgiving Turkey Drive

Contact:
Darren Johnson
(631) 287 8313
Fax: (631) 283 4081

Southampton, NY -- Leslie Engeldrum got the idea by looking at her Southampton Waldbaum's grocery receipt. It told her if she spent $150 at the store she would be entitled to a free turkey. The Southampton College of Long Island University student started thinking about those who couldn?t afford to have turkey for Thanksgiving.

She called Southampton Waldbaum's manager Dennis Smith and they worked out a plan: Any store receipts the senior marine-science major gathered on campus could be used toward free turkeys. The food would then be donated to the Human Resources program at Sacred Hearts Church in Southampton, and the turkeys would be used at a Thanksgiving Dinner on Tuesday, November 23 at the Polish Hall.

Engeldrum teamed up with junior biology major Tanya Bean and residence hall area coordinator Warren Newton. They publicized their "receipt drive" on campus and went dorm to dorm to collect the receipts. They gathered more than twice what they had expected: $2327.43 in receipts, good for 16 turkeys.

On Wednesday, November 17, the Southampton College trio picked up and transported the turkeys. Food pantry volunteer Bob Shearn of Southampton said many of the people who show up for the Tuesday Thanksgiving dinner order the food as take-out to refrigerate until the actual holiday. Human Resources expects to provide 300 turkey dinners.

The receipt drive is one of dozens of Residence Life public-service programs Southampton College students perform each year. Other recent programs have included beach cleanups, tutoring computer skills and serving dinners in a Riverhead soup kitchen.