Chartwells teams up with staff to deliver meals to students living on campus. (Photo by Mark DiOrio)
As Colgate Dining Services shifted to meal deliveries for nearly 300 students living on campus last week, more than three dozen University staff have stepped up to help with the effort to provide for this community.
Colgate Associate Vice President for External Relations Joanne Borfitz, who oversees the University’s contract with meal provider Chartwells, said dining operations had to shift on a dime to transition from in-person meal service at Frank Dining Hall to residence hall deliveries in order to comply with state regulations.
“At one point, they were delivering more than 300 meals at a time,” Borfitz said. “It is not easy, and they have quite the assembly line. I saw it firsthand. We have a total of 36 staff right now, with folks from the Dean of the College Division, athletics, and a few faculty members.”
Staffers form into teams at each lunch and dinner to deliver the meals to all corners of campus. Dinner and the next day’s breakfast are delivered at the same time, ensuring that the morning meal is available when the student needs it. Staff wear masks and gloves, in accordance with CDC recommendations, and the food is dropped off at central locations in all of the residential buildings where students are living.
“Each bag is labeled with the room number of the student,” Borfitz said. “It has really gotten down to a science in terms of when the students are receiving their deliveries.”
Colgate Chaplain Corey MacPherson said he and his wife Edie have helped out with the deliveries on several occasions. While the University’s chaplains are all still available for remote counseling via online groups and individual Zoom meetings, he said he wanted to show students on campus that the staff and faculty are dedicated to their wellbeing.
“You want to help the students, but you’re limited in how you can help,” MacPherson said. “It’s nice for us to just do something small to support our students. We are here for them and are trying to figure out how best to support and care for everyone during this new dynamic. I wish we could do more.”
