The Center for Service, Spirituality and Social Justice (CS3) is heading off efforts to help people affected by Hurricane Harvey with a collection bin in the basement of the Holland Union Building (HUB) for the collection of supplies, specifically cleaning supplies.

All of the supplies collected will be shipped out of Mission Central in Mechanicsburg, a disaster relief organization that works in the U.S. and abroad to provide appropriate emergency aid, according to the organization’s website. From Mechanicsburg, supplies will be sent to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Dickinson’s collection of supplies will be distributed to the communities affected by the hurricane, primarily in the Houston metropolitan area, including the town of Dickinson, TX.

Stephanie Mazur ’17, the community service program coordinator for CS3, said that making donations “provides ways for students to take part in meaningful service and address the needs of others. We feel that raising funds and making cleaning kits is an appropriate way to help others given the complexities.”

Student Senate President, Chris Jones ’19 said of Student Senate’s involvement, “Senate had been asked to participate from the inception of the drive and is hoping to encourage student groups to do their part in collecting funds, and supplies to support those affected in Dickinson TX.”  He also said that although “CS3 is coordinating the supply drive,” they are not the only organizations involved in the disaster relief efforts.  “Student Senate, as well as many other organizations and offices on campus,  will be assisting with spreading awareness of the drive to collect as much as possible,” he elaborated.

Mazur and CS3 recognize that many people have already made donations and are grateful for the support of the community. “We have had some departments on campus package an entire cleaning kit together and bring it to our office,” Mazur remarked, “which we think was an absolutely wonderful idea, and we are very grateful for their support! We hope that more students, faculty and staff come together to help this cause.”

CS3 requests that if you plan to make a donation, please visit http://www.umcor.org/UMCOR/Relief-Supplies/Relief-Supply-Kits/Cleaning first and only donate the items on the list, or donate directly at www.dickinson.edu/gift and specify Hurricane Relief in the “other” option.  The collection bin will continue available to take donations until the end of September. Along with collecting donations in the HUB, CS3 will also have a collection table on Britton Plaza on Thursday, Sept. 14 during common hour.