Serving their communities is something that TCC students and employees do throughout the year. Giving food, clothing and school supplies as well as generous amounts of time mentoring younger students are a few of ways they got involved.
This support continues and often is intensifying on our five campuses during the holiday season in the following ways:
Northeast Campus
The Veterans Club is collecting hats, gloves, coats and blankets for homeless vets through Dec. 9. Donations may be taken to NE Campus Veterans Advocate office in NFAC 1103 or call Jack Dalrymple at 817-515-6922 to contribute. You still have until Dec. 15 to contribute to the Student Ambassadors effort to collect pet food through Paws for Recycle that benefits Meals on Wheels. Place your contribution in the decorative boxes in these buildings: Student Center (NTSU), Technology and Arts (NTAB), Health/Physical Education (NHPE), Academic Classrooms (NACB) and Faculty Offices (NFAC).
Campus Crusade for Christ sponsored a food drive for non-perishable items for local churches last month. The Giving Tree, started 14 years ago by concerned faculty, is providing toys, games and clothes for the families of six students who receive financial aid. Students will pick up wrapped gifts Dec. 13. Northeast Professional Support Staff Association is helping 50 children as sponsors of the Salvation Army Angel Tree. Psi Beta and Kappa Delta Pi collected new books for United Through Reading. Books were provided so soldiers overseas could read and record them on DVDs and send them home to their children in the United States. This was the fifth year that Sigma Tau Surgical Technology Student Association collected gloves and other warm clothing to benefit SafeHaven Women and Children Shelter. This year’s efforts also included a raffle and holiday photos at another TCC campus to raise funds to purchase more items. Student Environmental Awareness collected aluminum and newspapers. Funds generated will be donated to assist injured animals. Under Construction (formerly A Positive Today-APT) collected items for gift bags to give to a local nursing home.
Northwest Campus
Student Development Services will conclude its fall Spotlight on Service for ACH Child and Family Services Dec. 9. Items are being collected in the Advising and Counseling Center, on the fourth floor of the Theater, Library Offices (WTLO), Walsh Library, and the Student Activities Office and on the first floor of the Student Center (WSTU). Christian Student Ministries participated in Operation Christmas Child, a program that allows donors to build a box of toys and necessities for needy children. Children at the Tarrant Assessment will receive presents Dec. 9, partially funded by proceeds from “Dancing with the TCC Stars.” The Northwest Dance Club sponsored the event last month to benefit girls and boys ages 5 to 15. They also held car washes and the annual Sadie Hawkins Day Dance to raise funds for Homes for Our Troops. Windows, doors and locks are among the items purchased to renovate homes, making them accessible for disabled veterans. Phi Theta Kappa sponsored “PTK…Books for Africa.” Books collected throughout the semester are shipped to Better World Books for distribution.
South Campus
There’s still time to help Student Development Services in its “Coat Drive” and “Business Suit Drive.” Donations of gently worn coats for females, males and children ages 7 to 10 are being collected in the Student Center lobby through Dec. 12. Donations will be used to help South Campus students and their families. Phi Theta Kappa members were able to help the Tarrant Area Food Bank with proceeds from its fourth annual Halloween Bash. They contributed $250 and more than 600 pounds of food.
Southeast Campus
Several groups collaborated to sponsor the annual Arlington Life Shelter Dinner. The Culinary Hospitality Student Organization and Student Dietetic Student Organization collected food donations from area grocery stores to be served at the annual dinner. SE students, faculty and staff joined together to donate gifts for the children in the Arlington Life Shelter and Rhapsody Movement Company held a blanket and coat drive. They also performed at the dinner as did the TCC SE Theatre Achieving Greatness Organization. Mansfield ISD Dual Credit Students joined other SE volunteers to decorate the campus and wrap the gifts for event. Mission Arlington was the recipient of two SE canned foods drives sponsored by the Association of Information Technology Professionals and the Health and Physical Education Program’s Wobble BE U Gobble drive. Additionally, they received paper goods from the TCC Accounting Society.
Trinity River Campus
You have until Dec. 13 to participate in two charitable projects at the Trinity River Campus. Continuing Education Services, in conjunction with RadioShack, is sponsoring an art supply drive and an Angel Tree to benefit the YMCA and a toy drive benefiting Cornerstone Assistance Network. A tree decorated with paper angels is in the CE office TRTR 3409-C. Each angel includes a child’s name, age and clothing size. Donations are being collected through. Toys for the Cornerstone project should be placed in the collection boxes on campus. Trinity River Socratic Club is sponsoring a food drive for the Tarrant Area Food Bank. It includes RadioShack employees, who are competing to determine which floor will donate the most food by Dec. 13. American Sign Language and Interpreting students worked all semester to provide an event for deaf and hard of hearing children from local school districts, ages pre-school to fifth grade. During the carnival-themed event, children played games prepared by the classes prepared games, skated, ate lunch and visited with a deaf Santa. Students from I.M. Terrell Elementary School are receiving books collected by students in Mary French’s Technical Writing class and shoes from Trinity River East Campus and the Center for Community Engagement and Service. Sheets for Soldiers Campaign, benefiting the influx of soldiers expected at Fort Hood in Killeen from Iraq, is being supported by students in Candace Eldridge’s speech class who collected twin-sized sheets. Other Eldridge students participated in the gLove project and volunteered to help at the Bedford Animal Shelter, Mission Arlington and Union Gospel Mission. Families at the Samaritan House received coats from the coat drive sponsored by the Trinity River Historical Society and food baskets, toys and crafts and a cash donation from students in Carie Kapellusch’s speech class.
May TCC’s generous spirit continue during the holiday break and overflow into the new year!