This holiday season, people living everywhere from Chicago to South Africa will benefit from Northwestern’s philanthropic student groups.
Delta Sigma Theta sorority is holding its annual toy drive on Dec. 4 — an effort that raises about 50 toys for children from the area and those in Africa, Weinberg senior and sorority president Jessica Clarke said.
“Our toy drive began as a fund-raiser to give toys to kids in Africa because we had a contact who traveled there often,” Clarke said. “We ask students to bring donations of toys and we will wrap the toys and make cards.”
The toys, which can be donated at the drive at Annenberg Hall, will go to local hospitals and to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
Delta Sigma Theta isn’t alone in its toy raising efforts.
The Center for Student Involvement is “acting as an umbrella for many groups to get involved this year” in a toy drive, said Lalitha Sitaraman, Residential College Board vice president of philanthropic affairs.
Many groups, including Hillel Cultural Life, Hispanic/Latino Student Affairs, Alianza, Northwestern Community Development Corps, RCB and the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers, are collecting toys as a part of the center’s effort, added Sitaraman, a Weinberg junior.
The drive runs until Dec. 10, and included an a cappella concert on Tuesday where the price of admission is a toy donation or $5. All the toys and profits will go to the ChildServe organization.
“We wanted to organize some kind of holiday party to involve the residential colleges,” Sitaraman said. “It turned into a philanthropy project and finally an a cappella concert.
“Many people decide to donate at the holidays, as it’s thought of as the time for ‘loving your neighbor,'” she said. “Our toy drive isn’t a big commitment, but it’s easy to do and it does good, too.”
Northwestern’s Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps is also involved in volunteering. The group is working on the Marines’ annual toy drive as a part of global Marine philanthropy efforts, said Communication senior Casey Osterkamp.
“For our toy drive, we raise money and go purchase the toys,” Osterkamp said. “Last year, we held a toy drive in Norris, but it didn’t work as well, because students don’t always have ready access to toys.”
The ROTC students planned to raise money at football games and throughout the Chicago area for their drive.
The students raised $800 on Michigan Avenue, Osterkamp said.
During the holidays, students also recognize needs beyond toys. Chenee Lewis, president of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, said her organization is sponsoring a toiletry drive that they hope to make an annual event.
“We started at the end of October, raising toiletry items for the Friends of Battered Women and Their Children, a Chicago center for domestic abuse,” the Weinberg senior said. “They will take the items raised and forward them where needed.”
Sorority members also asked CVS patrons for donations and are received donations at drop boxes located throughout campus, including one in the lobby of NU’s Mulitcultural Center, Lewis said. T
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