Students Organize New Toy, Clothing Drive for Area Non-Profits
St. John Fisher University students are teaming up to collect clothing, toys, and toiletries for non-profit organizations in the Rochester area. Donation collection will begin on Monday, Nov. 28 and run through Thursday, Dec. 8; bins will be placed throughout campus. Donated items for both organizations must be new.
Students in the Anthropology in Action and Refugees in Rochester Learning Community, taught by Drs. Jenna Rossi and Roja Singh, are collecting warm clothing and toys for refugees through St. Mary’s Place and for those displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war through RocMaidan, the charitable arm of the Ukrainian Cultural Center of Rochester. Over the course of the semester, students have learned about the struggles refugees and internally displaced individuals face; and while organizations and agencies can often supply essential items to those they serve, the students hope to collect toys and clothing that can offer a sense of joy and playfulness.
Items needed for St. Mary’s Place include:
- Picture books
- Bath toys
- Stuffed animals
- Puzzles
- Action figures
- Legos and other blocks
- Play-doh
- Card games
- Journals and sketch books
- Art supplies
- Sports equipment (and pumps to inflate balls)
- Hair accessories
- Skate boards
- Blankets
- Mittens
- Warm socks
- Winter hats
- Scarves
Items needed for RocMaidan include:
- Socks
- Underwear
- Thermal underwear
- Sleeping bags
- Warm clothing
- Camo or khaki color men’s clothing
- Men’s hiking boots
- Diapers and wipes
- Blankets
- Mittens and gloves
- Hats
- Winter coats
- Scarves
- Feminine Hygiene products
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
The drives are sponsored by the African American Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology Departments. For questions about the drive, email jrossi@sjf.edu.