CMU Dining hosts Friendsgiving event, donates 100 meals to fight food insecurity

Central Michigan University and Chartwells Higher Education, CMU's food service partner, are hosting a campuswide Friendsgiving event on Thursday, Nov. 18, focused on celebrating togetherness, expressing gratitude and giving back to the Mount Pleasant community. The event, called "Thank-Ful," is part of Chartwells' yearlong Joy-ful program aimed at welcoming students back to campus in a memorable way.

The entire university community is invited to attend the free event from 2-4 p.m. at the Fabiano Botanical Garden area across East Preston Street from the Bovee University Center. Event highlights include:

• A block party complete with food trucks, live music by Jedi Mind Trip, games and more. Food is free to attendees, first-come, first-served while supplies last.
• Thank-Ful Table: A large food table offering complimentary Friendsgiving treats through student-favorite food trucks, a Michigan-inspired chef competition, candy apples, s'mores and so much more.
• Give-back projects: Partnership with the CMU Student Food Pantry to collect food and personal care item donations during the event to help fight food insecurity across campus.

CMU is one of 300 U.S. colleges and universities taking part in this simultaneous Thank-Ful celebration across the country. CMU's dining team will donate 100 meal vouchers to help combat food insecurity on campus and is partnering with the CMU Student Food Pantry to collect donations of food and meal swipes throughout the event to further support the food insecurity initiatives on campus.

"It is no secret that our industry and campus have experienced some challenges as the world continues to recover from the pandemic. Chartwells' Thank-Ful event is the perfect opportunity for our students to once again gather in a schoolwide 'Friendsgiving' celebration of togetherness," said Tyson Dubay, CMU's resident district manager. "We also love that the event provides the unique opportunity to give back to our community and help fight food insecurity our students and community may face."

More information about CMU Dining and the  CMU Student Food Pantry can be found on their respective websites.