Campus Offers Opportunities to Help Others This Holiday Season
Campus Offers Opportunities to Help Others This Holiday Season
You often hear “it is better to give than to receive.” At
Georgia Southern this holiday season, opportunities to make a difference and
help others in need are abundant. Several departments have organized ways that
students, faculty and staff can share in giving back to the Statesboro and
campus communities.
You can participate by donating canned goods and warm clothing, or by
supporting Statesboro agencies and families through the Holiday Helper Tree.
Canned Food Drive
A three-year tradition, the Student Employment Center is hosting the Canned Food Drive through Friday, Nov. 15 to benefit
the Statesboro Food Bank. Non-perishable foods are welcomed. Collection bins
are set up at the following drop-off locations:
- Rosenwald Building
- RAC
- Career Services located inside the Williams Center
- Main Hallway inside the College of Business Administration
- Information Desk at Russell Union
- College of Education, First Floor – Room 1133
- Deal Hall
Sponsored by Staff Council, the Warm Clothing Drive is also in its third
year. All sizes of warm clothing are being collected, including new or used items
such as coats, hats, gloves, scarves, socks, pants and sweaters. Pattie Beblowski,
Staff Council president, says the Council recognized a need and wanted to do
something to help.
“As you’re cleaning out your closet this year, instead of taking items to
Goodwill, let’s help our community first. There are a lot of folks in need of warm
clothing,” she said.
Now an annual event, 400 items were collected in 2011 and 600 in 2012. The drive has continued to grow and Beblowski says recipients have been overwhelmed with the generosity of the Georgia Southern community. The collection period is being held earlier this year to accommodate student needs as well as faculty and staff members. Collection bins are set up at the following drop-off locations through Friday, Nov. 29:
- RAC
- HR
- Residence Halls
- Henderson Library, Room 2210B
- Dining Commons
- Eagle ID Center
Holiday Helper Tree
Placed in Russell Union, the
Holiday Helper Tree contains tags with the name and gift idea of a local
individual or family. Participants are encouraged to take a tag and use it as
guidance to support families who are less fortunate this holiday season through
the following 14 Statesboro agencies:
- Children's Medical Services
- Homebound Services
- Brown's Health Care and Rehab
- Community Housing: Pineland
- Concerted Services
- Eagle health and Rehab
- Heritage Inn Health & Rehab Center
- Live Oak Migrant Ed. Agency
- Orchard Manor
- Senior Companions
- Safe Haven
- Statesboro Head Start
- Westwood Nursing Home
- Statesboro Summit
Begun in
1994 by Eileen Smith, senior administrative secretary in the Department of
Sociology and Anthropology, the Holiday Helper Tree was conceived in the spirit of community service,
caring and giving.
“It blesses my heart to watch the campus community get so excited about
it even in these tough economic times. We’ve always had every single tag taken
and it just gives you hope in human nature and how we reach out to others, even
with how little we have. Those that want to help, help the way they can,” Smith
said.
To participate, visit Russell Union from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Friday from Nov. 6 – 22. Gifts should be returned to the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement by Monday, Dec. 2.
Coordinator of Civic Engagement, Danyel Addes says, “This is something that the agency residents and clients look forward to every year. It helps make the holidays something special for them. It’s an incredible experience. For some, it’s the only gift they will receive during the holidays.”
In addition, monetary and gift wrap donations are also accepted. Volunteers are needed to sit with the trees as well. For more information and to help, contact the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement at 912-478-1435.
Sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, the Holiday Helper Tree has been a tradition for 20 years at Georgia Southern University.
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