Jaclyn Figg
Staff Writer
It’s easy to become consumed with the materialism that soaks into nearly every fiber of the winter holidays: from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, we are encouraged at every turn to spend, spend, spend.
But amidst the retail season, there are many individuals and organizations that focus more on giving than on spending.
Consider for a moment a simple pair of socks.
Socks are an item most people don’t consciously worry about every day, but for some, socks are hard to come by and can be a cause for a lot of pain.
The Campus Sock Drive is one of the ongoing service projects at Idaho State University this holiday season, along with Share the Feast hosted by Benny’s Pantry, Share the Warmth and The Angel Tree Project.
“We take for granted what socks and shoes are to our health,” said Thomas Mathews, who is working on his Bachelors of Science in Nursing. “Socks help prevent against fungal infections and frostbite this time of year.”
The idea for the sock drive sparked from the South East Idaho Homeless Stand Down, which took place at ISU in October.
Students who are part of the ISU’s Student Nurses Association volunteered to check homeless people’s feet at the event for infection and to insure they had a good pair of socks and shoes.
After seeing approximately 175 people, most did not have a decent pair of socks. “It’s the most needed item, and the least donated,” Mathews said.
If anyone wishes to donate socks, they can be dropped off at the nursing building or the Lead Center at ISU located on the third floor of the Pond Student Union Building.
In addition, a table will be set up in the Rendezvous Wednesday and Friday Dec. 9 and 11 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and in the SUB Friday Dec. 11 from 8:45 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Fred Meyer donated around 170 pairs of socks, but Mathews is hoping to receive a decent number from ISU students and faculty, “I want a strong push on the University because I think most people around here think beyond themselves,” Mathews said.
The goal is to get three pairs per person at Aid for Friends, the homeless shelter in Pocatello, and anything left over will go to the Southeast Idaho Community Action Agency Veterans Affairs.
Share the Feast is another way to give a little more this holiday season. It is an effort to have Benny’s Pantry at ISU well stocked for the winter season.
“We’re giving away a lot of food,” said Cory Cox, student manager of Benny’s Pantry. “We’ve got quite a bit of donations the last couple weeks, probably 1,100 pounds since the second [of December].”
Since most kids are home for a number of weeks during the month of December and into January, the holidays can bring in added family members to a home.
“When we think about our pantry customers and how so many of them have children, this is a time of year when it is important that we have more food within the pantry,” said Brooke Barber, Director of the Lead Center.
The pantry accepts non-perishable food, personal care items such as toilet paper and monetary donations all year round.
People can drop off their donations for December and January during office hours at the pantry, at any information desk such as those in the Student Union Building and Rendezvous or in the donation boxes around campus.
“We recognize that it’s an important season regarding food and security so we want to make sure we are well stocked,” Barber said.
Share the Warmth is a blanket and coat drive on behalf of Aid for Friends to help keep the homeless warm throughout the winter.
To donate a coat or blanket people are encouraged to bring them up to the Lead Center.
“Recognizing that it is getting increasingly colder, it’s important that the shelter has enough coats and blankets for their residents,” Barber said.
Located in the SUB, the Angel Tree Project is an effort to help ISU students who have children, with gifts.
Tags on the tree have the gender, age and what the children need or want for Christmas gifts, and keeps the effort anonymous.
“We make sure that all angels are provided with a gift,” Barber said.
Interested donors can get a gift for a child or children and then take it to the Lead Center by Dec. 14 where they will distribute them.
Ways to help others throughout the year include the bi-annual blood drive hosted by the Lead Center, participating in the student organization Service Core, service Saturday hosted by Students Activity Board and the upcoming MLK day of service in January.
“I would love to see students become addicted to giving back,” Barber said. “It is through giving back that a student forms their personal identity and their own values of citizenship and leadership.”
