In the spirit of helping those around them and making their winter season a little brighter, the Whittier College community has been giving back in a myriad of ways.
“Giving of yourself” can be quite literal at a blood drive. On November 13, Poets packed Villalobos Hall to donate life-saving plasma, thanks to a drive organized by the Office of Student Engagement in partnership with the American Red Cross.
The office is also participating in the annual holiday food drive. The first push took place November 11-22 and the drive will continue December 2-13. They’re accepting canned and other non-perishable food to benefit families in need.
The College community has also been contributing to the Toys for Tots Drive, hosted by the Veterans Resource Center in collaboration with the American Legion Post 51 in the City of Whittier. To donate, drop by the center, located in the Dean of Students Office, and leave an unwrapped toy valued at $10 or more. The Toys for Tots drive ends Friday, December 6.
“Our school played a crucial role in the donation of toys for the Whittier area last year,” the resource center said in an email announcement about the drive. “We hope that we will be able to surpass that this year.”
Students are also giving back in major ways.
The Black Student Association has been collecting basic necessities for our homeless neighbors, which they’ll place in backpacks and hand out to the community. They’re also planning to collect gently used or never-worn clothing in December.
The Food Recovery Network continues to feed the homeless by delivering entrees and sides from the Campus Inn to the St. Matthias Church soup kitchen, where they also stay and help serve.
Meanwhile, students are also helping make the season better for children in need. Erika Goetz ’21, a business administration major who’s a residential advisor, will be organizing students in her hall to help make holiday cards for patients at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. The men’s lacrosse team is also planning to volunteer, for the second year in a row, at the Annual Family Drive in downtown Fullerton, which treats under-privileged families and disabled children to donated gifts, food, games, and more.
Destiny Randle ’23 contributed to this story.
