Yam Jam 2023

ECU! #ARRRGH you ready to sort over 50,000 pounds of sweet potatoes? Join us for this special volunteer event sorting sweet potatoes into family sized portions for the distribution by the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC. Free food, music, and t-shirts for volunteers! This volunteer event is only for currently employed faculty/staff and currently enrolled students. 

(Please note, rain date will be March 29, 2022 9AM-4PM. In the event we have to cancel, we will contact everyone who registers to volunteer with the new link.)

This opportunity will benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC and is a collaborative event put on by the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, ECU Sustainability, College of Business, and Campus Recreation and Wellness.

Location: Parking lot across from the Main Campus Student Center 

"BRING A CAN, BAG A YAM!"

In addition to this volunteer opportunity, we will also be collaborating with ECU Purple Pantry to give volunteers a chance to make an impactful donation that will help stock our 4 food pantry locations on campus. The ECU Purple Pantry was created to decrease food insecurity among the students of East Carolina University and to increase their access to other personal care items. The pantry operates mainly from the gracious donations of ECU Students, Alumni, Faculty/Staff, and local Pitt County residents.  If the volunteer positions fill up, we still strongly encourage you to DONATE!

You can make a donation in 3 ways: 

1. Volunteers can drop off their physical donations during the Yam Jam event at the start of their shift 
2. Volunteers can purchase options from the Purple Pantry Amazon Wishlist
3. Volunteers can make a monetary donation to the Hunger Initiatives Fund which helps fund the pantry

Visit the ECU Purple Pantry Website to see an updated list of the most needed items in the pantry spaces