Central College students and staff will team up doing a world of good this November and early December with the annual Season of Gratitude program, bringing meaningful service and generosity to campus and beyond.
The community is invited to participate in a campus-wide Food Drive, Monday, Nov. 17, to Friday, Nov. 21. Donation boxes will be placed throughout campus. On Friday, the KNIA/KRLS Big Red Radio will collect contributions and deliver them to the Pella Community Food Shelf.
Winter Clothing Drive: Imagine arriving in Iowa during winter. To help others in need, coat closet collection boxes will be available on campus for donations of gloves, scarves, sweatshirts and sweaters. Donated clothing will be available to students and refugees to stay warm this winter.
Giving Tuesday: Observed globally on Tuesday, Dec. 2, this day of giving marks the beginning of the charitable season. It’s a day for individuals, communities and organizations to unite in support of nonprofits. Donations can be made at ignite.central.edu/givingtuesday. On campus, students will also host a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the BMW rooms of the Maytag Student Center.
Throughout the month, Central students will engage in service opportunities:
- Volunteering with the Urban Bike Ministry in Des Moines, packaging and delivering food to individuals experiencing homelessness.
- Celebrating World Kindness Day by creating cards for seniors in Pella and veterans and decorating gratitude jars filled with notes of thankfulness and affirmations from friends and family.
- Crafting mats from recycled plastic grocery bags and tying fleece blankets for those in need.
- Participating in an Angel Tree service trip organized by Campus Ministries, where students will spend an evening in Des Moines playing games, doing crafts and serving children whose parents are incarcerated.
“In this season of reflection, I am especially thankful for the character of our Central students,” says Karmen Ten Napel, vice president for student development and dean of students. “They possess an incredible spirit of service and understanding of what it means to give back. Seeing them put their gratitude into action to support others is a powerful reminder of what makes our community so special. It is a genuine privilege to watch this generation lead with such compassion and generosity.”