The Emerson baseball team held a food drive at Tuesday’s men’s soccer game as part of a year-long partnership with the college’s food pantry. 

The Emerson College Food Pantry is a part of the Office of Student Success and provides students with supplies such as hygiene products and shelf-stored foods. Baseball head coach Nick Vennochi said the team has eyed a partnership for over a year.

“It’s something we have been meaning to do for a long time,” he said at the food drive. “I think that because of COVID we just didn’t link up with Chris Grant and student success. He did a speech at one of our student affairs meetings and it was something we wanted to support.”

Senior infielder Calvin Jacey said doing events such as the food drive helps build the foundation of the team. 

“It goes back to being good people and that’s something our coach Vennochi says a lot,” Jacey said at the food drive. “The fundamental [part] of our culture is just be good people and to be charitable because once you’re a good person, that kind of emulates the rest of the program.”

The new partnership allows the team to give back to the Emerson community. rior community service efforts focused more on issues in the city. 

“Community service is a huge part of being an athlete and caring for your community,” Vennochi said. “This seemed like a good way to help the Emerson community, sometimes we will work at the homeless shelters or do other food drives, but with this one, we could help Emerson and do it right at home.”

The initiative brings a sense of unity and camaraderie to the program, first-year catcher Robert Posio said.

“It brings us closer together as a team if we’re all doing one common goal,” Posio said at the food drive. “It just creates a good team mindset that we can accomplish anything.” 

The food drive and partnership with the Emerson College Food Pantry is reflective of the players on the team, Jacey said.

“We’re always trying to find ways to give back to the community,” he said. “It’s always about the bigger picture we’re trying to help the community, we’re not just a baseball team. We want to be people that are a positive influence on the community.”

Vennochi said the partnership with the pantry is just the beginning for his team.

“I’m hoping we can do it at every home game,” he said. “Maybe tell every parent and make it bigger. We are just getting our feet wet tonight and maybe other schools will get in on it after seeing us tonight.”