Student Athlete Patrick Caskin Leads Food Drive Success

AUGUSTA, ME – If you are a member of the UMA community, then you most likely know Patrick Caskin.  Patrick is a member of the UMA Cross Country team as well as the President of Student Government Association on the Augusta campus.

In his time here he has helped create the FALL Food Drive as well as the UMA Community Cupboards, a program that helps ensure there are snack and food options available to the UMA community at no cost. The Student Government Association worked to secure several grants to ensure that the Community Cupboard was available not just to students, but to staff and faculty as well. "Patrick was instrumental in the grant writing process," boasts UMA Student Government Advisor, Rose Pelletier.  "It was Patrick's initiative and passion that set this entire project into motion from start to finish." 

Caskin has also taken advantage of several opportunities offered during his time here at UMA, such as volunteering in Haiti, working with malnourished children. On his time in Haiti, Patrick notes "this experience gave me a new found purpose to push forward harder for the upcoming fall food drive and the expansion of the SGA Food Closet into the UMA Community Cupboards."  Patrick also spent a month in Zambia completing medical, educational, and community volunteer work in July of 2016.

This past semester, Patrick, along with other members of the SGA organized their second successful FALL Food Drive.  The first annual FALL Food Drive was held in 2015-16 and allowed an opportunity for the SGA members to make adjustments and enhancements on the structure of the drive.  Those changes led to a greater awareness from the student body. 

Teams from various clubs on campus competed to see who could raise the most food all of which would be donated to the Augusta Food Bank. Donation boxes for each club were spread across the Augusta campus and groups competed for a $200.00 prize. Students also took the time on a Saturday in November and organize a drive outside of the Augusta Shaw’s Supermarket.

According to the Augusta Food Bank, the UMA FALL Food drive was able to contribute their largest one-time donation they have ever received with over 1,100 total items received.