The University of Toledo community can help brighten the holidays through three giving initiatives supporting individuals and families on campus and across northwest Ohio, the university announced in a Nov. 12 release from UToledo News. The drives collect hygiene kits, toys for the children of student parents, and gifts for local children through the Salvation Army.
The largest single goal belongs to UToledo Health’s annual hygiene drive, which aims to provide at least 400 kits for patients and community members in need, UToledo News reported. Each kit should include four rolls of toilet paper, two toothbrushes, two rolls of paper towels and full-size containers of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant and hand soap, the university said.
Departments were asked to register to participate by Friday, Nov. 13, with empty bags provided for pickup in Mulford Library Room 048 or by delivery, the university said. Completed kits are due Tuesday, Dec. 1, and can be dropped off at the Office of Community Engagement in Mulford Library Room 048 or the Department of Service Excellence in UTMC Room 1192, with pickup available on Main Campus, UToledo News reported. Employees can also make a monetary donation through the UToledo Foundation, the university said.
The Catharine S. Eberly Center is hosting its sixth annual Toy Drive benefiting the children of student parents, collecting new, unopened toys now through Monday, Nov. 30, UToledo News reported. Suggested donations and drop-off locations on the Main and Health Science campuses are listed on the drive’s webpage, the university said.
Student parents can register for the Holiday Toy Exchange through Friday, Dec. 4, the university said. The exchange runs Tuesday through Thursday, Dec. 15-17, and offers one gift per child, along with diapers, coloring materials and one book per family, UToledo News reported.
The third initiative, Brighten the Holidays: The Angel Tree Project, runs in partnership with the Salvation Army. The Office of Student Engagement and Connections is collecting new, unwrapped toys, bicycles, scooters, books and stuffed animals for local children through Monday, Dec. 7, the university said.
Students, faculty, staff and campus organizations can sign up to sponsor an Angel or host a donation box, and gifts can also be dropped off in Thompson Student Union Room 1532, UToledo News reported. Questions and volunteer interest go to [email protected], the university said.
What happens next: the Eberly Center Toy Drive closes Nov. 30, hygiene kits are due Dec. 1, Angel Tree gifts are due Dec. 7, and the Holiday Toy Exchange distributes gifts Dec. 15-17 — four deadlines that give the campus community a way to help at almost any point in the season.