With the holidays around the corner there is no better time than now to reach out to the community with a helping hand. CMU’s Circle K club did its part by holding a food drive for the Clifton Christian Church. The box to drop off food is located next to the information desk in the University Center.

Kiwanis club is the world’s largest international service organization. CMU junior and psychology major Kimberly Ventrello created a collegiate level Circle K branch at CMU this year. Ventrello’s father has been actively involved in the Kiwanis club, and she hopes to follow suit. After participating in the Circle K club at Colorado School of Mines, Ventrello transferred to CMU and, with her roommate, decided to create a branch here for college students.

“Grand Junction had really been pushing for a club at the college level,” Ventrello said. “Some people were interested but we were the first to really get the ball rolling. We filled out our paperwork in the end of August.”

Circle K meets every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the University Center meeting room 224. The club is always looking for members to join.

“Our motto of Circle K International is live to serve, love to serve,” Ventrello said “That’s truly what we do.”

The newly established club chose to do a food drive for the holiday season. They are currently accepting any non-perishable food items, which will then be delivered to the Clifton Christian Church for the holidays. Non-perishable food includes canned food, pasta mixes or anything nutritional that does not need to be refrigerated.

“It is really important because hunger is a really big issue that a lot of people aren’t aware of,” Ventrello said. “More people in America go hungry than you’d think, even people in your own neighborhood.”

The box has been in the University Center since last Tuesday, and will remain there until Nov. 16. The Circle K club has also considered adopting a shelf at Habitat for Humanity, ringing a bell for the Salvation Army in December and volunteering at the homeless shelter.

To get involved with the Circle K club or to make a donation, contact coloradomesacki@gmail.com.

lstroman@mavs.coloradomesa.edu