The WSU Crop and Soil Graduate Student Association will host its 4^th annual Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat food drive on Halloween night in Pullman.

Volunteers will “trick-or-treat” and collect non-perishable goods and other items that will be donated to local food banks.

Rachel Breslauer, co-president of the Crop and Soils Graduate Student Association, said the event is a fun way for community members to get involved and donate items without having to leave their homes. She said this year, the group plans to collect donations from Military Hill in Pullman.

Wilson Craine, co-president of the Crop and Soils Graduate Student Association, said the group contacted local food banks and pantries to make a list of what type of goods are needed. He said the group made copies of the list and gave it out to community members a week prior to the event.

“It gives people the time to shop over the weekend and have the items prepared and ready for us when we show up on the night of Halloween,” he said.

Volunteers who signed up will meet at 5 p.m. on campus to be put into pairs. From there, the pairs will go to houses to collect donations.

Craine said that at 8 p.m., volunteers are welcome to stay and help organize goods. He said the group goes to the WSU greenhouse after collecting to sort donations. The goods are sorted into different groups based on which food bank they will be donated to and what type of item it is, he said.

Nikayla Strauss, treasurer of the Crop and Soils Graduate Student Association, said last year the group collected 1,982 pounds of donations. She said if the organization could surpass that number this year, that would be incredible. She said she wants the food bank drive to help raise awareness about WSU resources available to students.

“Lots of students need help. Lots of students with families need help. We just hope that they know about the different food banks here on campus, so they can get the help that they need,” she said.

Paulina Abustan, adviser and graduate student assistant for the Office for Access and Opportunity and First Scholars Program, said that over 600 students visit the pantry in the Women*s  Center every year. This time of year can be hard for students that are not able to go home for the holidays or cannot afford food, she said, and the food donated to the pantry can be used to help those students.

Craine said it is an important time of the year for many community food banks. He said during this time of year, local food banks tend to run low on goods for the holiday season.

“To be able to fill up the shelves at this time of year is really important because it’s getting colder outside and people are starting to come to terms that they might not have everything that they need going into the winter,” he said.

Abustan said the pantry often receives many creative donations from organizations and groups on campus.

“I really love this trick or treat idea,” she said. “Instead of candy, it’s food, and most of the time people need food.”