When Sam Osborne, executive director of the Ranier Valley Food Bank, arrived at the food bank at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning last week, he noticed the lock to their storage unit had been cut and boxes of food had been torn open. Thieves had stolen Thanksgiving food set aside for 1,500 people, leaving Osborne and other employees discouraged about keeping their commitment to the community.

That evening, however, the United Greek Council (UGC), a UW registered student organization (RSO), arrived at the food bank to deliver a separate store of Thanksgiving food baskets, not yet aware of that morning’s robbery.

“At 6:30 that evening, this great group of students brought beautiful baskets over with everything needed for a Thanksgiving meal,” Osborne said.

Kathy Chin, UGC president, said it was a mere coincidence that the burglary happened Wednesday morning. As it turns out, the UGC had been planning to donate Thanksgiving food baskets since the beginning of November.

When the group delivered the baskets on Wednesday night, however, Obsorne delivered the bad news.

“Sam Obsorne sadly told us about the robbery, and we all felt so bad,” said Sabrina Martin, director of finances for the UGC’s executive board. “In the car on the way home, we decided to hold a food drive to help replenish their shed.”

As a result, the UGC held a food drive over the weekend through today at the U-Village QFC.

So far, participants say the drive has been a success. As of Sunday, the food drive yielded four carfulls of food, Chin said.

“I was surprised by how generous and willing to help people were,” Martin said. “I feel thankful that our community is so willing to help those in need.”

Fostering community involvement and service is one of Chin’s main goals this year as leader of the UGC.

The UGC was established in 2002 to promote unity among historically underrepresented minority fraternities and sororities.

“This year, I want to strengthen bonds within the UGC by providing more opportunities for the 11 organizations [in the UGC] to come together,” Chin said.

After the food drive, Chin and the rest of the UGC are planning on hosting a basketball tournament and a powder-puff football game for the sororities.

Meanwhile, the group remains busy at QFC collecting food for those in need this Thanksgiving.

Osborne, back at the food bank, said that members of the UGC have shown genuine compassion in helping to replace the stolen food. He also noted that the food bank would be accepting donations year round.

“People are always hungry,” Osborne said.

Martin said they are glad to help out.

Reach reporter Brian Byrnes at news@dailyuw.com.