Junior Class collects food, toys, money for Food Bank, Salvation Army, Red Cross

Last Wednesday, the front of the Smith-Brown Memorial Union was filled with students socializing and listening to music, but something much bigger was taking place on the Southern University campus.
Along with students’ laughter and dancing came their giving.
As the music blared, students filled large, decorated boxes that lined the stage with whatever they had to give.
They donated to the “Little Bit of Everything Drive,” sponsored by the Junior Class. This drive was the first of its kind in Southern University in nearly five years.
Students, as well as faculty were notified by letters and flyers asking to donate clothing, non-parishable food items, toys and cash.
“We wanted to do something out of the the ordinary, step out of our comfort zones. It would have been so easy to just sit boxes in the dormitories, but we wanted to encourage our peers to contribute and make a difference,” said Katreena Pearson, junior class vice-president and coordinator.
And they did just that.
Within three hours, the junior class collected six boxes of clothes and shoes, 67 lbs. of food, and 76 toys, Edward “Ted” James, junior class president, said.
They also collected more than $500 for the Red Cross though the drive and previous collections.
The food will be given to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and the clothes and toys will be given to the Salvation Army.
Pearson says the terrorist attack on Sept. 11 pushed students to give even more.
“The attack made a big impact, definitely. Those memories were still there and made impressions on them. They (students) saw that others are really in need and were more apt to give,” Pearson said.
“We are thankful and appreciate the student body’s support. It showed that our students are giving and really do care about not only our school, but our community, as well. I think the drive shed some positive light on our community, especially in a time like this,” James said.
James said there will be more community service projects to come by the junior class. Students will be notified.