The season of giving

With all the excitement of Christmas and the promise of the coming year, Weber State University students, faculty and staff did not forget their community. Generously giving their time, resources and hands, patrons of Weber State University gave life to that old Christmas favorite Jingle Bells and "made spirits bright." Going door-to-door, members of the Information Technology department hung tags asking for toy donations for children one to 16-years-old. More than 1,000 items, including toys, hats, gloves and clothing were collected and donated to the Salvation Army before being distributed to people in need. Rosalie Polson was one of four people who helped organize the project. Several others helped including Sarah Dawn Lowry, Doreen Davis and Linda Bender. The service was personally important to Polson who said she "[knows] from experience what it is like to be a child without presents on Christmas." She said she would like every child to "know Santa loves them." The Women's Center was established to help women overcome personal and academic barriers so that they can meet their goals. The Center added to its regular efforts and provided Christmas for struggling families. Working with the Continuing Education Department, the Women's Center provided Christmas for more than a dozen single mothers and their families. Every Christmas, single mothers who are students of WSU can apply for help through the Women's Center. This year, not a single applicant was turned down. After 12 years of working in the Women's Center, WSU graduate Carol Merrill has watched several single parents as they learn that their families will be sponsored for the holidays. She described that experience as being tremendously heartwarming and invited students to share her efforts to help single moms. "If students want to be involved, we welcome them with open arms," she said. Also providing service was the WSU Honors program and local bands, including the Auto Pirates, Fox Van Cleave, and Naked Eyes. On Dec. 5, the Honors program held a concert featuring the bands in the Wildcat Theater. In exchange for non-perishable food items, all interested students were admitted into the concert. Four to five hundred cans and other non-perishable food items were collected and donated to the Utah Food Bank. Chris Bentley, president of the WSU Honors Board, and Jason Masters, also of the Honors Program, helped supervise the project. For Bentley, the Food Banks' efforts to help the hungry significantly impact not only the well-being of individual persons, but also the well-being of society as a whole. "Any time we're able to help others be successful, the entire human society benefits," he said. Bentley explained that alleviating a person's constant struggle for their "core needs" such as food and shelter, allows them to focus on other needs like getting an education. Helping people have such opportunities is important to Bentley, who said he feels strongly that we ourselves "rely on other people" and must do all we can to help them succeed. The effort of the Honors program to assist the Utah Food Bank is ongoing and plans are being made for another concert at the end of February. In the meantime, all students, faculty and staff are invited to the Honors Center on the third floor of the Library Building where a barrel has been set up to collect food donations.