Public and caring services students at Loughborough College have collected, packed and donated a total of 101 special gift boxes to help homeless people and families in Charnwood this Christmas.
Students worked throughout December to pull together food, toiletries and gifts as part of the donation boxes for Loughborough-based Falcon Support Services.
The donation is also part of the College’s involvement in the nationwide Good for Me, Good for FE campaign which is encouraging all staff and students in the further education sector to volunteer for or donate to worthy local causes.
Rachel Hall, Deputy CEO for Falcon Support Services, collected the boxes which will be shared amongst the charity’s service users. She said: “There will be people locally who are waking up at Christmas without a home. Falcon Support Services provides supported accommodation including two emergency festive beds to prevent rough sleeping across Leicestershire.
“Christmas can be a lonely time, with many not having friends or family members to go to at Christmas, so it’s our job to make Christmas memorable. The 100 Christmas Shoeboxes created and donated by Public Services Students at Loughborough College may be the only present people receive. The generosity shown restores their faith in the community, so we’d like to say a huge thank you for the support shown.”
Student Tia Proudlove was among the students who worked on building the boxes and donated her own £30 Amazon gift card that she’d received for volunteering at College Open Days.
She said: “As a group, we felt people who are vulnerable should enjoy Christmas and we wanted to help as many people feel special through our gift box donation to bring a smile to their faces.”
Tia said boxes included donations such as wash cloths, soap, comb, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, sanitary products as well as gifts such as warm gloves, reusable water bottle, pen and notebook, biscuits and a chocolate Selection box.
She added: “We want people to know that others are thinking about them. They are still human and are not looked down on for their circumstances. I don't like to see people suffer and will do anything in my power to help them.”
Bernadette Barker, Head of Service Industries at College which includes Public Services, said: “We’re so pleased that we’re able to help such a worthy local charity. Having volunteered at Falcon, I know first-hand the importance of helping feel that they have a safe place to go where they can get help, support and important items that they would otherwise not be able to afford.
“I’m also extremely proud of our amazing students who have all taken to heart the citizenship element of our public service programme by giving back to others in need.”
It is the second consecutive year that the College’s public and caring services students have donated to Falcon and follows a recent day of volunteering at the charity by the College’s senior leadership team.
Students also generated a surplus of about 12 boxes that will be donated to the Help for Homeless charity in Leicester.