When President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., challenged the Monarch community to collect 150,000 items for this year's Monarchs Give Back campaign, students, faculty, staff and community partners went to work. By the time the campaign ended, they had contributed 171,208 food items and monetary donations to support the Monarch Pantry and Norfolk Public Schools (NPS). The University celebrated the results Oct. 30 at Chartway Arena.
The total translates to nearly 40,000 meals —a 52% increase over last year’s record-breaking results. Through the efforts of students, faculty, campus organizations, and community and corporate partners, Old Dominion University showed how it could—as Community Engagement Liaison Cathy Lewis said in her opening remarks— “come together as a community to make a powerful difference.”
Promotional tables across campus encouraged the Monarch community to “Feed the Lion,” and the response was overwhelming. Donations poured in through the campus donation bins, online platforms, athletic events and the three-day Peanut Butter for Parking initiative.
The effort extended well beyond campus, with businesses and community organizations across Hampton Roads finding creative ways to support the campaign. Their involvementhelped bring Monarchs Give Back into the broader community and encouraged more people to take part.
The spirit of giving was on full display at Chartway Arena, where more than 200 students, faculty, friends and supporters gathered to celebrate the campaign's success and the collective impact of the Monarch community. The celebration highlighted the University's commitment to serving its neighbors, including the second annual Monarchs Give Back Day of Service with Norfolk Public Schools. Joining in the celebration were Jeff Rose, Ed.D., superintendent of NPS, and First Lady Marisela Rosas Hemphill, Ph.D., who expressed her gratitude to the Monarch community for its generosity and dedication to making a difference.
“This effort is a true reflection of what can happen when a university and its community come together with a shared purpose,” she said. “Old Dominion University has long been a space where people just don't come here to learn, work and live, but where they genuinely care about giving back and lifting others. That spirit is what inspired Monarchs Give Back. In the end, this is more than collecting food. It's about caring for one another, strengthening our community and reminding people they are not alone.”
Brandi Hephner LaBanc, Ed.D., vice president for Student and Campus Life, echoed her remarks by noting the importance of teamwork.
“Today we celebrate the people who turned our goal into a movement. Behind every can, every box and every bag is a person who chose to give. This campaign succeeded because of the committees that planned it, promoted it and carried it across campus and into and through our communities.”
Organizers also recognized individuals and organizations whose contributions helped make the campaign a success.
- Student Volunteer of the Year: Trinity Salva, junior cybersecurity major
- Student Organization Battle for the Crown: Wesley ODU
- Employee Volunteer of the Year: Laurie Harrison, director of community engagement
- President's Challenge Champion: Kaitlin Muncie, executive assistant to the vice president for research and economic development
- Alumni Chapter Winner: DST Monarchs Alumni Chapter (Courtney DeRamus)
- Corporate Partner of the Year: Food Lion
- Local Business Partner of the Year: ARDX
- Community Partner of the Year: The Ghent Business Association
The Division of Research and Economic Development won the President’s Challenge, taking the title for the third consecutive year. Led by Ken Fridley, Ph.D., vice president for research and economic development, the division collected 27,982 items. Student and Campus Life placed second with 25,402 items, and Finance earned honorable mention. Other notable contributors included the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) and Aramark, each of which donated more than 20,000 items.
For the second year in a row, President Hemphill led a group of student and staff volunteers who visited five NPS schools on the Monday prior to pack grocery bags of food during the Monarchs Give Back Day of Service.
Monarchs Give Back launched in Fall 2022 during the inauguration of President Hemphill in partnership with First Lady Hemphill. Since then, more than 396,000 food and monetary donations have been distributed to NPS families and the Monarch Pantry.