As the holidays approach, the time for giving begins, and bringing a canned good to Northern Kentucky University provides a way to share.

Located around the Northern Kentucky University Campus are donation bins, and Renea Feihinger, a freshman social work major, a food drive volunteer, wants them filled.

Feihinger leads the Can and Nonperishable Food Drive for her Social Work 105 class, which helps give food to shelters with strict budgets, such as the Welcome House in Covington, Ky.

According to its Web site, the Welcome House strives to eradicate homelessness, to foster stability and to promote a just society.

“The Welcome House houses women and children who are homeless,” Feihinger said. “While they are there they get three meals and a snack at night. Along with the strict budgets, the Kentucky Department of Education Nutrition has adopted more strict guidelines for the child meal pattern starting in January 2009.”

As a result, the necessary provisions for families decreased, and the food drive can compensate for the loss.

“With such guidelines and the current cost of food, doing this drive may relieve (shelters) of buying vegetables and nonperishables so that they can focus on nutritional breads, cereals, and meats,” Feihinger said.

One problem the drive faces comes from lack of involvement. The idea sounds simple, but Feihinger believes the reason students don’t contribute stems from forgetfulness.

“I believe that students don’t remember in the morning to just grab a canned food from their pantry and bring it in,” Feihinger said.

Other problems include no word of mouth and unexpected trouble. For example, due to a blackout from Sept. 1 until Nov. 1, the United Way was not able to get adequate supplies.

Kimberly Collier helped set up the bins for the canned goods and nonperishables at NKU.

“I have not only outreached to get the bins made and donated by a local box making company, but I also implemented where the bins would be and tried to help in any other manner I could,” Collier said.

The bins locations are: Steely Library, the Student Union, the second floor of Founders Hall, the third floor of BEP, Callahan Hall and Norse Hall.