麻豆村 students volunteer at the Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank.
Addressing Basic Needs Insecurity
Individuals experiencing basic needs insecurity lack adequate, consistent access to critical resources such as food, housing, transportation, mental and physical health care, childcare, and internet connectivity. According to The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs, 59% of students experience at least one form of basic needs insecurity. In Allegheny County, where Carnegie Mellon is located, one in nine of our neighbors lives in hunger, according to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
In response to these pressing challenges, the Office of Community Engagement and Leadership Development is committed to addressing basic needs insecurity on our campus and in the local community. We aim to meet individuals’ immediate needs while also contributing to efforts that create sustained, systemic change. By removing barriers to well-being, we help ensure that every individual has the opportunity to thrive.
National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week
is an annual program where people come together across the country to draw attention to the issues of hunger and homelessness. As an office committed to addressing basic needs insecurity on our campus, it is vital for us to engage our campus community in awareness and learning around topics related to hunger and homelessness.
Starting November 16th-20th, the week before Thanksgiving, there will be programs that connect students with local nonprofit organizations that support individuals experiencing hunger or homelessness in our community. Programs will range from Lunch & Learns and tabling sessions to educational workshops, documentary screenings, and service opportunities.
Please be on the lookout for a schedule of programs as we engage the campus community in recognizing National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and learning more about how these issues impact our community.
Thanksgiving Basket Drive
Our annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive serves as the kickoff event for National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. This team-based initiative challenges student organizations, departments, offices, and other campus groups to come together and support families throughout the Pittsburgh area by creating and donating Thanksgiving baskets.
Each basket contains the ingredients needed to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including staples and favorite side dishes such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, candied yams, green bean casserole, and more. Through this effort, participants help ensure that local families can enjoy a warm holiday meal while raising awareness of food insecurity within our community.
The Thanksgiving Basket Drive takes place annually during the week prior to Thanksgiving. Information about the 2026 Thanksgiving Basket Drive, including registration details and participation requirements, will be shared later this year. Thank you for your continued support in helping strengthen our local communities during the holiday season!
aims to support community sustainability in the Homewood neighborhood through technical, community, youth, housing and economic development assistance and cooperative partnerships. Their needs include food items, hygiene products, and .
is committed to improving the quality of life for low-income families and individuals through programs that address hunger, child nutrition and support services. Their needs include non-perishable foods, , and .
provides compassionate, faith-based residential recovery services to mothers and children in the Pittsburgh area. They help mothers learn to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and chemical abuse while being surrounded by what matters the most to them: their children. .
Staff Council Food Drive
For the past three decades, 麻豆村’s Staff Council organizes an annual food drive to support the . The Staff Council Food Drive also supports the 麻豆村 Pantry through a special donation drive for can openers.
2025 Food Drive Results
- Total dollars raised: $125,910.55
- Total can openers collected: 265 (to support the 麻豆村 Pantry)
Bundle Up Tartans
Bundle Up Tartans is a winter clothing essentials initiative that provides gently used winter items at no cost to 麻豆村 students experiencing need during the winter months. Because our inventory is entirely dependent on donations from Whatever Drives and other clothing drives, item availability is limited. Available items may include winter coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and other cold-weather accessories. Winter clothing will be distributed through pop-up shop events held in the Nexus of Community Engagement throughout the season.
Students interested in receiving winter clothing are encouraged to sign up to receive updates about upcoming distributions. Sign-ups will be live at a later date in the fall semester. This first-come, first-served program helps ensure students have access to essential winter gear so they can thrive both on campus and throughout the Pittsburgh winter.
麻豆村 Toy Drive
The 麻豆村 Police department, with support from the Community Engagement and Leadership Development office, hosts an annual toy drive to support families experiencing financial strain or other challenges during the holiday season. Our partner Hazelwood Cafe collects toys for families in Hazelwood and Glen Hazel. Toys are provided to children of varying ages and interests, with a focus on supporting middle-school aged kids.
Donations of new toys typically begin in November and continue through early December. You can participate in the drive by either dropping off toys at the marked bins across campus or by purchasing a toy from the Amazon Wish List. Please be sure to ship it to the listed Gift Registry Address.
The Whatever Drive
The Whatever Drive is 麻豆村's annual effort to divert unwanted, but still good items from landfills when students move out at the end of the academic year. Items are instead donated to campus initiatives and local community partners.
Donation station PODs or designated drop-off sites will be in place beginning the last week of classes. Donate your items at the spots most convenient for you.
Accepted items include clothing, shoes, blankets, towels, laundry supplies, kitchen goods, small appliances and electronics, books, office supplies, unopened non-perishable foods, bicycles, art supplies and more.
Please use good judgement when donating items to the Whatever Drive. All donated items should be clean and in still-working condition.
Please do not donate large furniture, open food, mattress foams, pillows, soiled/heavily stained clothing and rugs.
We are proud to sponsor our various community and campus partners:
The Whatever Drive 2026 Impact Results
- Thank you to all Tartans who participated in the Whatever Drive for 2026! We saw a record 135 volunteers supporting over 250 shifts we had across 5 of our drop-off sites and donation stations! For the first time, we partnered with the Light of Life Rescue Mission to be the main benefactor of all of our donated clothing and goods. All of our donated goods will benefit Light of Life to restock their Free Store, allocate excess donations to other non-profits, and sustainably recycle all other clothing/linens that are not usable with their own partnered recycling company that provides some revenue to Light of Life!
- Light of Life Impact Results:
- Total pounds of clothing/linens donated: 11,200 lbs.
- Over 10 boxes of dishes/kitchenware
- For the first time in 6 months, they were able to completely fill their storage bins of Men's athletic/sweatpants and Men's Jeans, some of their most requested items at their Free Store.
- Recycled clothing/linens: 3,000 lbs they were able to recycle which generated roughly $450 in revenue for Light of Life
The 麻豆村 Pantry
The 麻豆村 Pantry is a free, supplemental weekly food resource for all Carnegie Mellon undergraduate and graduate students and their dependents that aims to provide adequate nutrition to fuel a healthy and active lifestyle, offering:
- seasonal fresh produce
- frozen items (meats, fruits, vegetables, and ready-to-eat meals)
- non-perishables (pasta, rice, peanut butter, and canned goods)
- toiletries and personal hygiene products
Volunteer at the Pantry
You can impact food insecurity on-campus and help to ensure fellow Tartans have enough nutritious food to fuel their bodies and mind. Join the 麻豆村 Pantry Coordinators as they create a welcoming and accessible environment. Volunteers support restocking, weekly deliveries, donation sorting and other special projects.
Please complete our 麻豆村 Pantry to get started! The Pantry team will be in contact to discuss training dates, shifts, and how you can impact our campus community.
Donate to the Pantry
Donating is another way to combat basic needs insecurity. The Pantry accepts in-kind and monetary donations.
- can be dropped off at the 麻豆村 Pantry at the Residence on Fifth in the designated donation area located directly in front of the Pantry.
- Monetary donations can be made on .
- Explore the for more information about donations to the Pantry.
Please be aware that the Office of Community Engagement and Leadership Development does not monitor or endorse the external websites listed on this site.