UofM and Malaysian American community partner on food drive for international students Saturday

May 1, 2020 - The University of Memphis and the local Malaysian American community are partnering on a food drive for UofM’s international students Saturday from 10 am - 1 pm at the International Center in the Panhellenic Building on Patterson Street on campus.

Food donated by the Malaysian American community will be distributed to 125 students who signed up in advance.

“This act of kindness by the Malaysian American community in Memphis will greatly assist our international students who are far from home and often feeling isolated during this pandemic,” said Rebecca Laumann, executive director, UofM Center for International Education Services.

“The University of Memphis is deeply appreciative of the generosity of local Malaysian Americans and welcomes this important opportunity to partner with one of our international communities.”

Mahade Salam, a Civil Engineering major and graduate research assistant at CAESER (Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research), is a PhD student from Dhaka, Bangladesh, concentrating on water resource engineering.

“COVID-19 has cast its dark spell throughout the globe and in this unprecedented crisis, some of the basic human needs, like access to food, are in jeopardy,” said Salam. “Initiatives like food drives on campus to ease the burden a little is a great thing to do. This initiative by the Malaysian American community will not only bring a sense of comfort among the students of the UofM, but it is also a virtuous thing for them to do. Thank you to the UofM for carrying out such a heart-warming project! It seems the UofM is taking good care of their Tigers!”

Although Salam’s home is on the other side of the globe, the University of Memphis continues to be a place of comfort for him.

“The UofM gives me the feeling of belonging somewhere,” said Salam, who came to campus last fall. “I have made a lot of connections in the past six months, and I enjoy spending time with them both in collaboration and friendship.

“Fun fact … one of my friends at the UofM taught me how to bike and rock climb! To me, this is the next best place to home. I love my campus!”

Other services the University of Memphis provides includes the Tiger Pantry, which has been a mainstay on campus and at the UofM Lambuth for many years. Since the start of the pandemic, the UofM has seen approximately 25 students per day come to the Tiger Pantry once per week, receiving 15-30 pounds of food per visit.

The Tiger Pantry is open to currently enrolled UofM students. The pantry carries food items (perishable and non-perishable), basic toiletries and basic household items. Since March 16, the Tiger Pantry moved from a choice-pantry model to a bag pickup model located in the University Center, room 359. For more information on the Tiger Pantry, please go to https://bit.ly/2ypwkHv.

Donations to support UofM’s international students may be made online at http://supportum.memphis.edu/international_education or mailed to the following address:

Attention: CIES-20514

Department 238, UofM Foundation

P.O. Box 1000, Memphis, TN 38148-0001