Growing up, I always had a glass of milk on the dinner table in front of me. It was a staple of every meal, and now having moved to college, I can safely say that the taste of whole milk makes me feel at home.
Although drinking milk has been such an integral part of my life, you wouldn’t believe how many people don’t have access to it. Milk is the most requested but least donated item in food banks across the nation and providing it to families in need is crucial now more than ever. A basic, everyday necessity like milk is not as available to everyone as it may seem, and in order to provide it to others, local communities can step up.
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) is hosting an intercollegiate milk donation drive, where they have encouraged universities across California with agricultural programs to host a milk drive and donate as many gallons as possible to their local community. Being a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, I find it incredibly important to spread awareness regarding the Cal Poly Dairy Club milk drive and motivate both students and community members to donate in an effort to support the local community.
Milk is a rich source of calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, which fulfill several nutritional needs and perfectly supplements any meal. Families throughout America are in dire need of receiving milk and hosting this milk drive supports local families and communities by providing one of their most requested items.
The CMAB has confirmed it will support each college with an initial donation of 100 gallons toward any food bank of their choosing. From there, it’s up to each college to market, promote, and host their own milk drive in competition with one another for their local areas.
The Cal Poly Dairy Club, named Los Lecheros, is hosting an array of donation dates for both university students and community members to stop by and donate. These dates span both October club meeting dates and a few October Fridays, where we’ll host a donation stand alongside the Cal Poly Creamery as they host their weekly afternoon ice cream drive-thru.
Although it was always available to me, I never considered how scarce a product milk could be for those who didn’t have easy access to it. When you get the opportunity, consider donating a gallon or two to your local food bank because milk does every body good.
Morgan Oliveira was the 2024 Hoard’s Dairyman editorial intern. She grew up working on her family’s dairy farm near Hilmar, Calif. As a student at Cal Poly University, Oliveira is majoring in agriculture communications.
