More than 50 students and university staff had given scores of items, including tinned fish, sauces, biscuits, breakfast cereal and tea.
The gifts were handed over to the Salvation Army yesterday for distribution in Canterbury.
The students also staged an international food festival, cooking food from their home lands and sampling food prepared by other students.
Students from about 30 countries, including China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and African countries, are studying through the centre or in the foundation programme.
Language centre and Foundation Year chief executive Grant Hubbard said some of the students came from countries where disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis or floods had destroyed lives, homes and businesses.
The students had made a "fantastic response" to needy people in Christchurch and Canterbury, he said.
