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Minnesota State University, Mankato
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“Giving Tree” helping selflessly during holiday season Donations helps out members of the MSU community.
ALEX KERKMAN Staff Writer Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, the Christmas season is officially upon us. Many Americans braved the crowds last Friday to get the best deals on a wide range of products, often selfishly throwing and trampling others in their path. As disgusting as Black Friday can be, it is heartwarming to know that there are just as much selfless acts taking place throughout the world. One of those is the Minnesota State University Giving Tree.
The Giving Tree was founded by Steph Stassen, a graduate advisor for Registered Student Organizations and Leadership. Stassen founded the program last year at MSU, after starting a similar program at North Dakota State University. “When I came here there was a huge need for a giving tree,” Stassen said. The giving tree focus was to help out members of the MSU community. Only university students can register to be helped out for the program, and only members of the MSU community donate and sponsor the children.
“The whole mission of this program is to help our own out,” Stassen said. “MSU students helping other MSU students out.” This year 31 families signed up for the program, which included 68 children. There were also 36 sponsors, over half of which were MSU students. This number was raised by more than half from 2012. “We had so many sponsors we had to turn a few away. It was a good problem to have,” Stassen said. Those who didn’t sponsor children donated food and gas cards to the parents.
Gifts included a little bit of everything, from necessities, including clothing, to toys. Some parents said they would provide “the needs,” while asking the sponsors to provide “the wants.” Both sponsors and registers were asked to stay in a $30 price range. The event started at the end of October, when registration first opened up. Registration ran all the way through November, and donations officially end on December 3rd. On December 4, parents will receive emails letting them know that their gifts are available to be picked up. All sponsors and those who
registered to be helped out are kept in complete anonymity. Neither group will know the identity of one another. Roughly 54% of all sponsors were students at MSU. The rest of the sponsors were made up of faculty, staff or entire departments. Even though Stassen will not be at MSU next year, she hopes the program will carry on. “I think this is a tradition to look forward to at MSU for years to come,” Stassen said. The Mankato Giving Tree was sponsored by Non-Traditional Student Organization and Community Engagement.
Community Engagement Office delivers food, help to Mankato PRATAKSHYA BHANDARI Staff Writer
Providing care and support to the Greater Mankato community through student engagement, The Community Engagement Office is an effort from the MSU community to provide students with a unique opportunity to make a difference in the community while gaining valuable service learning experience, a separate part of their main goal of organizing various events all year long. The campus kitchen is a student driven hunger relief effort from the Community Engagement Office (CEO) along with the Campus Dining Services and various other facilities on campus. With the help of student volunteers, food recovered from area restaurants is packaged and delivered to provide nutritional meals to a neighborhood. It is an effort to end hunger that has not only helped the Greater Mankato area but many other US cities where it is becoming a very popular service on University
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campuses. While combating hunger, the effort also helps eliminate food waste in restaurants who are more than willing to become a part of the ongoing effort. Some of the Mankato Area restaurants that participate in Campus Kitchen include Chipotle, Red Lobster and Caribou Coffee. The food is collected and packaged in a licensed kitchen located at the Crossroads Lutheran Ministry at MSU. The kitchen in collaboration with University Dining Services is equipped with necessary facilities and managed by a certified staff. The Campus kitchen delivers more than 6000 meals each year, while also eliminating 7000 pounds of food from going into landfills each year. While hunger is a problem that requires year round attention, it is especially difficult for many families during the holidays. Not only will the campus kitchen be open and delivering during the winter holidays, the CEO also has an event called the giving tree, to spread cheer during the holidays.
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