TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Student contributions to The University of Alabama Community Service Center’s first Give and Go Donation Drive in May totaled some $10,000 in goods and 500 pounds of nonperishable food items.

At the end of the spring semester, the Community Service Center set up collection centers at several of the dormitories on campus as well as Calvary Baptist Church parking lot. UA students were encouraged to leave reusable goods and nonperishable food at these donations sites rather than throw the items away when leaving campus for the summer.

The students responded and brought donations from their rooms to these sites. The goods were donated to Temporary Emergency Services and the food was donated to the West Alabama Food Bank.

“We came up with the initiative after a colleague mentioned that
several other universities had conducted donation drives at the end of each semester in their housing communities,” said Megann E. Bates, Community Service Center assistant director.

UA students donated shoes, clothing and furniture, including lamps, couches, end tables and bedding. CSC is planning to continue Give and Go donation drives due to the amount of student participation.

The UA Community Service Center provides leadership in developing opportunities to meet community needs while stimulating intellectual, social and professional development of the UA student body. They help achieve these goals by offering services like Give and Go that help students become advocates for service and increase their awareness of civic responsibility.

For more information, contact Bates at 205/348-5586, mbates@sa.ua.edu.