Food industry management senior Sherria Hamilton knows what it’s like to not "have it all" around the holidays.
Hamilton said she has a lot of siblings, nine altogether. As a result, there were some holidays when her mother would tell her and her siblings they could only receive one gift. She said gift would often be something the kids needed, like clothes, but not something they necessarily wanted, like toys.
“You know, I’ve been at a place in my life when I didn’t have it all,” Hamilton said. “Sometimes when you don’t have it all you hope, pray and wish that someone will lend you a helping hand and it doesn’t have to necessarily be financially.”
From these experiences Hamilton has acquired a desire to help other kids in need, she is one of the organizers for Adopt-A-School Toy Drive, which was initiated by interdisciplinary studies, health and society junior Shanika Kidd. The drive’s goals are to provide nonviolent toys for the children in the Capital Area Community Services, Inc., Head Start program.
Kidd said the idea first came to her during this past summer. However, she stashed it away in the back of her mind until she came to school. Her thoughts at the time were that she might not be able to manage her time with school, work and the toy drive, she said.
At MSU however, the topic came up while she was speaking to her interdisciplinary studies and social science adviser Veda Hawkins. Hawkins immediately encouraged Kidd to go through with the drive, she said.
“I thought it was great because I love to help children," Hawkins said. “I used to work for the Big Brothers Big Sisters. I love students who want to give back so I was excited to help.”
Kidd said the only organization that has been involved with the drive is the Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science Student Organization, but besides that, she has just been working with other students on campus. To get everything started, Kidd started chains of text messages and group messages to spread information about the toy drive, she said.
Hawkins described Kidd as a motivated hard worker who likes to give back to the community. Kidd has been the primary force for making sure this toy drive happens, Hawkins said.
“She’s really organized everything and I think all I do is I make sure she can have a table downstairs,” Hawkins said. “I got that box that she puts the stuff in, I printed the flyers. It was really her idea and I just want to help her bring it about.”
A table for the toy drive can be found from noon to 4 p.m. on Dec. 1 in Berkey Hall on the first floor between the two stairways Kidd said. There is also a box at the library check out desk that’s open during operating business hours that people can donate toys in.
Kidd said her interest in doing a toy drive was initially spiked by an internship she had working with kids, but she loved children even before then.
“I love children and I understand that the holiday season isn’t always cheerful and joyful for families,” she said.
Kidd is hoping to help children whose parents might have been recently laid off or have lots of children they can’t support during the holiday season she said. Like Hamilton, Kidd said she knows what it’s like to have your family struggle during the holiday season. There was one year her dad was having a hard time getting presents and paying the bills all by himself, as Kidd’s mother died when she was 4 years old.
“It was just hard for him to do that,” she said. “I understand like these things happen all the time and families do have these sort of problems or financial problems.”
The last day for the drive is currently scheduled for Dec. 1, but Kidd said donations will still be accepted afterward depending on the level of interest in Berkey Hall Room 302.
So far, Kidd said more money than toys have been donated. With this money, Kidd plans on going to stores like Wal-Mart and Five Below with other organizers to buy toys for kids. The goal is to get each student one bigger toy and then disperse whatever is left. After all the toys are collected, they will be bagged and wrapped and taken to the students, Kidd said.
Although she hasn’t had a chance to talk to them, Hawkins said she thinks the children at Head Start will be excited, among other feelings.
“Probably overwhelmed and surprised that a group of students have thought about them at all because I think sometimes kids can be invisible,” she said. “‘Why would these students take the time to think about kids that are not from their community? They’re here going to school.’ That’s why it’s so exciting that they want to give back.”
Hamilton said she plans on going to the school to drop off the toys if she can. She has worked on other toy drives in the past and said that seeing the kids faces light up makes it all worth it.
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Because of her experiences, she wants to make a difference for others.
“I felt like because I am in a place where I can give back and I know how it feels to not have much,” she said. “I never want some other child to feel that way. So if I can ease the pain just a little bit, I feel like it’s my duty to do so.”
