This holiday season, Texas A&M University-San Antonio staff will donate to students in need through a campus-wide initiative.
A&M-San Antonio Staff Council and Counseling and Wellness services partnered together to provide turkey dinner baskets for students in need of additional assistance.
The annual initiative began several years ago when Staff Council donated prepared baskets and nonperishable items for elementary and middle schools in the South Side of San Antonio.
But president of staff council, Laura Sanchez, knows the recent increase in student enrollment will raise the need for assistance on campus.
“We just started with the trend of our own A&M students,” Sanchez said. “This is the second year where we’ve added A&M students and this is the first year where it’s specifically for our students.”
According to Sharon Otholt, Staff Council chairwoman, Student Counseling and Wellness Services will identify the students in need.
While these students will remain anonymous, Sanchez believes students will donate with the notion of helping fellow classmates.
“This is a community outreach event, campus-wide,” Sanchez said. “Even though you may not know who those students are, you have students that, peer-to-peer, may still want to contribute.”
The proposal was announced to faculty and staff yesterday at the annual Thanksgiving potluck to promote awareness.
Staff Council will donate funds and hope that students will contribute to prepare the baskets.
“It’s mainly going to be everything you need for a turkey dinner,” Otholt said. “Staff council will buy the turkeys, or put some budget money in there. We’ll put some vegetables with it, gravy mix, cookie mix, everything you would need for a complete turkey dinner.”
While Staff Council is working to set up donation boxes around campus, students can find a donation station at the Lights of Esperanza ceremony on Nov. 29.
For more information, visit the staff council web page.
http://www.tamusa.edu/staff-council/
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