Some MSU students are doing their part to make wintertime a little easier on those less fortunate.
The North Complex Black Caucus, McDonel Hall Senate, Residence Life and the MSU police are holding the second “Help Keep a Family Warm This Winter” coat drive.
Officer Kahlil Wasson, who helped coordinate the event for the MSU police, said the drive has collected more than 200 coats since the drive began on Nov. 27.
“We’ve asked students who live in Snyder/Phillips, Mason/Abbot and McDonel Hall to donate any children’s, women’s and men’s coats to the drive,” Wasson said. “Our goal is to help impoverished families in the area get through the holiday season.”
Local businesses have chipped in by offering gift certificates to students who donate items to the drive, Wasson said.
All coats donated will be distributed to the MSU Safe Place, MSU Give and Take Center, Lansing City Rescue Mission and the Advent House of Lansing at 11 a.m. on Dec. 11, in the Mason Hall Black Caucus Room.
Daniel Hicks, executive director of the Lansing City Rescue Mission, said the university community has traditionally been very helpful in supporting efforts to help the homeless and impoverished.
“I’m so thankful for the MSU students, police and faculty who are willing to help out,” he said. “It takes the whole community to help those in need.”
The rescue mission has been lending a hand to homeless people in the Lansing area for more than 90 years, Hicks said.
“We don’t receive any funding,” he said. “That means we couldn’t do a thing without people in the area donating and helping us out.”
Terrance Wilbert, North Complex Black Caucus president, said the caucus became involved with the coat drive to give something back to the community for the holiday season.
“It feels good to be helping needy families this time of year,” Wilbert said. “We got a taste of helping out last year and we wanted to keep that tradition.”
Working in unison with MSU police has been very beneficial, he said.
“(This event) shows that students and other organizations can work together with the police in a positive way,” Wilbert said. “I hope next year people will follow our example and get involved with community service projects.”
Wasson said students looking to make a donation can do so until Monday morning.
“What we’ve done is built a very good relationship with students, in particular the black caucus, in an attempt to strengthen the relationship between the police and minority students,” Wasson said. “This event has been such a success that we’ll definitely do it again next year.”
