University of Denver students volunteered both their time and effort last Friday to help the Food Bank of the Rockies in connection with the DU Day of Service. The mission of the food bank is to redistribute donated and government-issued food to needy families and individuals throughout the Denver area.In its first 25 years, Food Bank of the Rockies provided nearly 190 million pounds of food to those in need, which translates to more than 146 million meals. The food bank mainly targets seniors over 60 and children under the age of 14 and aids more than 14,000 people a month. Students involved with the Pioneer Leadership Program and Business 1080 class were on hand to help box up the canned goods. Foods such as canned peaches, spaghetti, evaporated milk and peanut butter were a few of the items donated by the government.The Pioneer Leadership Program and Business 1080 both require students to have a certain number of community service hours in order to complete the course. Stefanie Clemente, a freshman hotel restaurant and tourism management major, got involved with PLP due to her interest in leadership.”Leadership was something I had never really been a part of before so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity,” said Clemente.Those who choose to enter the PLP live together in the J-Mac residence hall and earn a minor in leadership studies. Kim Roesch, a psychology major also involved in PLP, commented on how easy it is to find volunteering opportunities.”By having to do so many service hours, whenever we hear of any place needing volunteers we just go for it,” said Roesch.The Food Bank of the Rockies finds most of its volunteers through Volunteer America, an online service that categorizes volunteer opportunities by state. Daniel Levario, the warehouse manager for the Food Bank, comments that the organization is always looking for new volunteers.”Many of the volunteers find us,” said Levario. “We are always trying to get our name out there to people who are interested in helping those in need and giving back to the community.”Those who are unable to donate their time as volunteers are encouraged to participate in local food drives and donate non-perishable items. To learn more about the Food Bank of the Rockies and how to get involved visit www.foodbankrockies.org.