UC community coming to give

When people think of University of the Cumberlands during the holiday season, images of a beautiful lights and greenery decorating the campus will come to mind. However, there’s more to UC than its looks. Not only is the school a bright shining light on the hill, but it’s also a light of giving during the holidays. UC had many ways to reach out and give back to the community during this season.

“If I give, someone else may be inspired to do the same when they see the joy it can bring to a person. Imagine being the one to give someone that joy, imagine having the ability to give joy to more than one person,” said Emily Roush, a freshman biology major from Lynchburg, Ohio. “Giving is such a beautiful thing and it just makes the world a happier place.”

At the beginning of multiple opportunities to give, the Golden Can Challenge was given by the Kentucky Harvest Southeast. Since 2011, UC and Union College have competed to see who could give the most and UC won the regional Golden Can Challenge for the first time bringing in over 18, 000 pounds of food this year.

All over campus, people were giving to the Golden Can Challenge. The dorms had a competition amongst themselves to see which dorm could collect the most. While UC’s Campus Activities Board helped bring in over 800 pounds of food by setting up a Swag Store that gave away different items such as t-shirts in exchange for canned goods.

“The store was incredibly helpful,” said Roush. “I saw students bring in canned food on day one and after receiving some UC “SWAG” they decided to come back several other times with even more cans than before.”

            UC students also jumped at the chance to go out at midnight on the morning of December 3 to shop for gifts that Mountain Outreach was collecting for their Gift Day event on December 10. MO collected gifts for about 400 children in the community. Sarah Rainous, a senior English and communications double major from Cincinnati, Ohio, thought the opportunity to give kids a surprise on Christmas was too wonderful to pass up.

            “Besides, it’s a fun experience!” said Rainous. “A bunch of college students running around Walmart, tiny college girls attempting to push grocery carts overflowing with heavy gifts, big, macho guys yelling, “I got!” and strutting out the aisle proudly holding a fuzzy pillow pet or Barbie—that’s priceless.”

On December 10, many more volunteers came out to serve the almost 190 families. Boxes and boxes of food were lined up outside of the warehouse and were brought inside to sort and organize for families. The volunteers loaded up the families trunks to over flowing so that families left not only with their childrens’ special gifts, but also food to fill their pantry.

Appalachian Ministries helped families in the area by giving about 65 essential boxes to kids. The kids attend the sites that student volunteers facilitate weekly to play with the kids and teach them about the Bible.

“Give for the kids with families that can’t get them gifts,” said Jasmine Newport, AM director. “Put yourself in their position. Think about what it’s like receiving a gift from people who care for them.”

The giving doesn’t stop around the holiday season. UC’s MO and AM do activities throughout the school year for students to get involved and give back to the community.

“You are much more blessed than you realize,” said Rainous. “You live in middle class America, you’re attending a private university, you’re well fed and clothed, and you slept in a warm be last night. There are millions of people, even in America, who can’t say they have all those things. I know you may have something hard going on in your life, but everybody does.”