‘Tis the season for giving

Students, faculty, and staff have organized a number of efforts on campus to collect toys, food, clothing, and other items for people and communities in need this holiday season:

The Latino/a Student Cultural Center, in collaboration with Northeastern’s Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, is sponsoring its annual toy drive through Dec. 15. Each year the center sponsors an organization in need, and this year it is partnering with Hildebrand Family Self-help Center of Cambridge, Massachusetts. For information about children’s wish lists and sponsoring a child, please contact Rosa Torres at LSCC@neu.edu or 617.373.5845. All gifts must be dropped off at the Latino/a Student Cultural Center (104 Forsyth St.).

The Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service and its Social Justice Resource Center are collecting women’s in-season clothing, canned goods, towels, mugs, toiletries, mittens, scarves, and hats. The donations will go to Rosie’s Place, a women’s shelter, and the Greater Boston Food Bank. Collection bins are available in the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service (Ell Hall second floor), Social Justice Resource Center (106 St. Stephen St.), Hillel (70 St. Stephen St.), the Catholic Center (68 St. Stephen St.), 420 Renaissance Park, and the following 14 residence halls across campus: West A, West B, West C, West E, West F, West G, Willis, INV, Smith/Kennedy, Stetson West, Stetson East, White, Speare, and M1LK. The drive runs through Jan. 19. Please contact csds@neu.edu with any questions or for more information.

Northeastern is also part of the College Charity Challenge, in which students compete for prizes by raising money for two charities—the Red Sox Foundation and Learning by Giving. Northeastern students can sign up for the challenge either individually or as part of a group or their student organization, and the fundraising will run through Feb. 20. In addition, the challenge will involve a coat drive in January to benefit the Dimock Center, a Roxbury-based nonprofit that provides health and social services programs to families in disadvantaged neighborhoods. For more information visit the Northeastern Charity Challenge website.

The Russell J. Call Children’s Center is sponsoring a drive for board books and new and gently used toddler clothing (size 18 months – 4T) through Friday, Dec. 12. The book and clothing drive will benefit Room to Grow, a local nonprofit dedicated to enriching the lives of babies born into poverty throughout their critical first three years of development. The center is located at 1 Fencourt St.

The Office of City and Community Affairs also organizes an annual drive for new toys and board books as well as new or gently worn coats for local families in need. The deadline to donate items is Dec. 19. Please contact Kijana Rose at 617.373.3168 or ki.rose@neu.edu for more information.