With help from the local community, CSU Monterey Bay collected more than 2,500 lbs. of food to help those in need this holiday season.

To earn a big discount off the ticket price for the Nov. 12 performances of the December People, those who attended the World Theater concerts were asked to bring cans of food for people and pets.

The drive was a collaboration between the World Theater and radio station HIPPO 104.3 FM. The donations – three-quarters of a ton – were given to the food banks of Monterey and San Benito counties and local animal shelters. This was the second year the group appeared at CSUMB. “Because of the fantastic audience response last year and the success of the food drive we launched, we brought December People back. The audiences were enthusiastic, and the food drive was a success once again,” said Joe Cardinalli, director of the World Theater.

The December People – Robert Berry, Gary Pihl, Dave Medd, Mike Vanderhule and Jack Foster – have been dubbed a “Christian contemporary Spinal Tap.” The group puts its own take on yuletide classics – think Led Zeppelin doing “Silent Night” or a Latin-fused Santana variation of “Deck the Halls.”

Meanwhile, students, faculty and staff, with sponsorship by Sodexo, contributed 1,040 lbs. of food to the Helping Hands Food Drive. It went to the Food Bank of Monterey County in time for Thanksgiving. The drive is an annual event on campus. Students donate meal plan blocks, which Campus Dining converts into bulk food items such as bags of rice, cake and brownie mix, canned milk and vegetables. More than $1,500 in meal plan blocks was contributed by students.

Avocet Hall was the winner of this year's competition among residence halls to see which could donate the most food at the annual Harvest Dinner.

Hunger remains a persistent reality in the area. According to the report “Hunger in America 2010,” an estimated 88,700 different people are served annually by the Food Bank for Monterey County – one-fifth of Monterey County’s population. Every week it serves approximately 10,800 people.