On-Campus drive benefits area middle school
Students join local groups to gather clothing for kids in need
Katie Rose McEneely
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: News
Needy children at Davis Middle School will soon receive about 10 "medium-sized bags' " worth of coats and winter clothes, courtesy of Hillsdale College faculty, staff, administration, students and Saga, Inc. employees, Chaplain Duane Beauchamp said.
After a request Beauchamp sent out via e-mail three weeks ago, Hillsdale Christian Fellowship took part in the three-pronged effort to supply children at Davis Middle School in Hillsdale with warm clothes. Beauchamp also sent requests for donations to college faculty and staff as well as his parish, Holy Trinity, he said.
While Beauchamp was uncertain as to the specific need for winter wear, he knew it existed from his 20 years in the community.
"Having watched students standing outside in the cold waiting for the school doors to open at 7:30 [a.m.] without proper clothing for winter, I can say there's a need," he said.
Beauchamp was asked to organize the coat drive on short notice by David Dye, assistant principal at Davis Middle School. However, due to the need for clothes before the Thanksgiving holiday, the drive at the college lasted only a week. Members of Davis' Parent's Association picked up the clothing Nov. 24.
Junior Abby Ashmore led the HCF campus response, which was limited to placing boxes in 11 dorms and e-mailing residence directors, asking them to inform students about the coat drive.
"I don't think we'll get a lot from students but I'm glad we asked," she said, adding it was more likely members of faculty and staff would have appropriate items to donate. But Ashmore was pleasantly surprised to find students contributed generously to the clothing drive.
"I can tell you that we had a great turnout from all of campus, faculty, students and the academy. I was very pleased by how many people contributed to this cause," Ashmore said in an e-mail to The Collegian.
The Parent's Association at the middle school will sort through the donations for students, which will be stored in a classroom converted into a closet, Beauchamp said.
"Once the Parent's Association comes in and gets clothing ready for distribution, students can pick up what they need," he said.
Dye told him some middle-school students will have access to the clothes closet to provide presents for siblings, Beauchamp said.
"What they now have is sufficient for their needs," Beauchamp said.
After a request Beauchamp sent out via e-mail three weeks ago, Hillsdale Christian Fellowship took part in the three-pronged effort to supply children at Davis Middle School in Hillsdale with warm clothes. Beauchamp also sent requests for donations to college faculty and staff as well as his parish, Holy Trinity, he said.
While Beauchamp was uncertain as to the specific need for winter wear, he knew it existed from his 20 years in the community.
"Having watched students standing outside in the cold waiting for the school doors to open at 7:30 [a.m.] without proper clothing for winter, I can say there's a need," he said.
Beauchamp was asked to organize the coat drive on short notice by David Dye, assistant principal at Davis Middle School. However, due to the need for clothes before the Thanksgiving holiday, the drive at the college lasted only a week. Members of Davis' Parent's Association picked up the clothing Nov. 24.
Junior Abby Ashmore led the HCF campus response, which was limited to placing boxes in 11 dorms and e-mailing residence directors, asking them to inform students about the coat drive.
"I don't think we'll get a lot from students but I'm glad we asked," she said, adding it was more likely members of faculty and staff would have appropriate items to donate. But Ashmore was pleasantly surprised to find students contributed generously to the clothing drive.
"I can tell you that we had a great turnout from all of campus, faculty, students and the academy. I was very pleased by how many people contributed to this cause," Ashmore said in an e-mail to The Collegian.
The Parent's Association at the middle school will sort through the donations for students, which will be stored in a classroom converted into a closet, Beauchamp said.
"Once the Parent's Association comes in and gets clothing ready for distribution, students can pick up what they need," he said.
Dye told him some middle-school students will have access to the clothes closet to provide presents for siblings, Beauchamp said.
"What they now have is sufficient for their needs," Beauchamp said.
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