Tracy Butterwick, an intern for the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, loads school supplies at the Fill the Bus event put on by the center. Both school and health supplies were donated to fill busses that were sent to local school systems.
Whether by helping out at the local soup kitchen or donating items for Purple Heart Pickup Service, Allison Altenberger has been volunteering since she was a little girl.
“My parents made us (volunteer) by saying, ‘You’ve been fortunate, so it’s time to give back to those less fortunate,’” said Altenberger, a special education freshman.
While making the transition to MSU, Altenberger donated school supplies for the first Fill the Bus event, a community service project geared toward freshman students. School buses were filled with donations which will be given to various organizations and schools in the Lansing area.
“I bought extra school supplies (for this),” Altenberger said. “It’s not hard to buy extra because it’s for a good cause.”
In addition to helping the Lansing community, Karen McKnight Casey, the director of the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, said she hoped to promote the idea of community service in younger students.
“This will help new students see from the beginning that MSU has a philosophy of giving for the community,” Casey said.
Fill the Bus was intended to get new students involved in community efforts to make their transition to the campus and new community more pleasant, said Kevin Schwemmin, senior Student Services coordinator.
“Basically, we wanted to do a freshman-wide effort to connect them to the community with service,” Schwemmin said.
As freshmen ended their college colloquium, students went to various drop-off locations Monday and Tuesday on campus. Each college donated items ranging from school supplies to personal items.
“Since so many (of our students) are going into health care, we’re collecting things along those kinds of things — Band-Aids, hygiene health care, but we’ll take anything they bring,” said Kent Workman, director of Student Affairs for Lyman Briggs College.
Donated items will be given to various community agencies such as Boys and Girls Club of Lansing, Capital Area Humane Society, Greater Lansing Food Bank and others.
“It’s always nice to be supported by the MSU community,” MSU Family Resource Center Coordinator Lori Strom said. “It’s sometimes challenging to buy school supplies and really expensive on parents who are also paying for tuition.”
Workman said the event was a wonderful experience.
“It’s great to have students develop the mind-set from day one that MSU is a community that gives back; working with the community is just one opportunity,” Workman said.
As Altenberger dropped off her items, she said she felt better.
“Helping always gives me a good feeling,” Altenberger said. “I think it’s great to help out the local community.”
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