The Dunwoody community gives back
This holiday season, the Dunwoody community has been giving back. Several student groups have been donating, volunteering, and engaging with local community groups. From the Toys for Tots holiday drive, to volunteering opportunities with Kate’s Club, Dunwoody has been doing a lot of good.
Toys for Tots Donations
This year’s Toys for Tots drive encouraged students to donate toys and gifts to children in need. Throughout the month of December, the donation box has been filling up with gifts for children.
During the toy drive, departments competed against each other to see who could give the most. One student group took the challenge very seriously. The Dunwoody Construction Management Student Association (DCMSA) went out as group to pick out toys and pooled together roughly $300 on top of what the department has already donated.
“Everywhere I look, there’s a sign saying toy drive, food drive, clothing drive,” club member Paige Schultz said. “By volunteering or giving back, you could be someone else’s saving grace.”
“The holidays are supposed to be about giving and being with family, and by donating toys to less fortunate families we hope to take a little stress away from parents who just want to give their kids what they deserve,” Schultz said.
This year the drive brought in $1,000
and many toy donations. The winners of the competition were the DCMSA club in first place, second place went to Land Surveying, and third to Interior Design. The winning DCMSA group even appeared on a recent KARE 11 feature for their accomplishments.
Volunteering at the Jeremiah Center
Other student organizations have been reaching out to the community this season. Kate’s Club recently went out to cook a spaghetti dinner for the kids and mothers who live at the Jeremiah Center in Minneapolis.
“For the Jeremiah Center, the people who live there are single mothers and are often dealing with hard times,” said Associate Director of Women’s Initiatives Maggie Whitman.
“By volunteering, we show that there are people in the community who care about them. The holidays can be a tough time of year and every parent wants their kid(s) to have a good celebration. As individuals who are able to donate our time and resources, we find it important to give what we can.”
Student Charity Stevson, who is also involved with Kate’s Club and DCSMA, works as an intern at the Jeremiah Center. “I love kids and I love helping them talk about their feelings,” Stevson said. “It’s important for everyone to give back…It makes you feel good on the inside.”
For the student volunteers, a highlight of this volunteering experience was the parents telling them their kids loved the food and seeing the looks on the children’s faces. But the best part overall was knowing they had positively impacted someone’s day.
Students have also given back this season by donating to the Groveland Food Shelf.
Random Acts of Kindness
One Dunwoody class worked all semester to do good for the community. COMM1150 made an incredible impact on the community during their Random Acts of Kindness Project. The objective of the assignment is to recognize kindness as a lifelong interpersonal skill that’s critical to success.
Students in this class reached out to Feed My Starving Children, Bikes 4 Kids, The Salvation Army, and other places.
Opportunities to give back this season last past the holidays. The winter clothing drive will last through January 11. You can donate any used coats, hats, mittens, boots, and other warm winter gear in the box placed by the west entrance.
Additionally, Kate’s Club works year-round to provide opportunities for outreach on and off campus.
Through giving back and engaging with the community, our students and staff make us #DunwoodyProud.