The Ross Medical Education Center Evansville, Indiana campus decided to not participate in just one event during the holiday season, but three. The staff, faculty, and students stayed busy both in the classroom and in serving their community. They began by hosting the Giving Tree Program, then collected a variety of items for local shelter, and finished up the season by collected socks for a local elementary school.
At the beginning of the holiday season, the Evansville campus held their own Giving Tree Program. They were inspired to do so when because they recognized that many of their own needed assistance providing Christmas to their families. The students were given an opportunity to submit via email the child’s name, clothing size, and toy request to a designated staff member. The campus then created paper stockings and allowed students and faculty members to purchase gifts listed for those in need. “We felt that this would be a way of taking care of our own during the holidays,” said Campus Director Tara Ford. “Overall, students and staff provided gifts for 15 of our Ross family members, helping them have a Merry Christmas.”
Then, reaching outside of their four walls, the Evansville campus wanted to bring some necessary support to a local shelter. They decided they wanted to do anything they could to ensure that those in need in their community were able to have a good holiday. So the staff, faculty, and students got to work collecting donations that ranged from old shoes to Christmas decorations over a two week period in December. The campus then donated all of the collected items to a local mission shelter so that those items could be used by those less fortunate.
Following a phone call from the secretary at Lodge Elementary school, the Evansville Ross campus spent the rest of December collecting socks. They were told that many of the students needed socks, especially since colder temperatures were becoming more common. All of the socks they collected were donated to Lodge Elementary School to help their students stay warm. The school official stated that they do get some assistance from other community organizations but seldom get enough assistance to meet the growing need of their young students. The same official also shared that oftentimes students are sent to school without socks and many of their shoes also have holes, not allowing their feet to be protected from the elements. After collecting socks throughout the month, the Ross Evansville campus was happy to send approximately 150 pair to the elementary school.