By: Sarris Balcerzak ~Staff Writer~

University Station (U. Station) staff set a precedent of giving back last week when it announced its “clean out for a cause” food drive campaign. The staff along with its corporate marketing team combined efforts and created the program.

“We wanted to have big events around the holidays where we had a chance to give back to our local community,” leasing manager Kathleen Murphy said.

The food drive benefits the Freestore Foodbank, a nonprofit organization that receives food donations and then distributes them to disadvantaged individuals. This umbrella organization works to serve 20 counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

The canned food drive ran Nov. 10-26 and gave residents the chance to clean out their pantries before leaving for Thanksgiving break. The drive was a success, with many students donating.
“It’s always great to have opportunities to help the local community and get our residents involved too. When you’re in a position to give and can encourage others to join in it’s very important to take advantage of that position to help people in need,” Murphy said.

The next opportunity for U. Station residents to donate will be the Toys for Tots drive during the final weeks of the semester.

The U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program’s mission is to “collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community.”

For this particular organization, parents who cannot afford to buy their children Christmas gifts can get onto the Toys for Tots website and request a toy. This nonprofit charity helps 700 communities. Volunteers organize the wrapped gifts into age and gender groups and distribute the toys on Christmas day.