Students and event staff listened to some fun Halloween tunes while putting together bags of hygiene products to donate to the homeless teens in the community.
The Residence Hall Association held an event, Helping the Homeless, to help children in need Oct. 21 at Parliament Village in the multipurpose room. TWU students packed Halloween-themed hygiene kits for homeless teens across the DFW metroplex. Each bundle included a short, handwritten note from the student making the bag.
“We want the kids to know they are loved,” RHA president Emily Gentry said.
This event was created for students to come together and give back to the community.
“At the end of last year, we truly realized the importance and impact of serving our community,” an RHA staff member said. “As an organization, we wanted to dedicate what we could to helping our entire community.”
The kits included socks, towels, deodorant, hand sanitizer, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, tissues, and a card.
The event reached maximum capacity within minutes of starting. Each table sat two people and the supplies were ready to be packed up and every student packed ten kits and handed them to the event staff.
This event was a great way for students to help the community around them and show love to the teens in need.
“In my hometown, I would volunteer at a center for homeless pregnant women,” freshman Isabella Dominguez said. “ I wanted to find a way to give back to the community while in college.”
A total of 150 bags were made and will be sent to Journey to Dream (JTD).
JTD opened up Kyle’s Place in Denton as a transitioning home for unaccompanied and foster care teens aged 14-19. Kyle’s Place was established as a safe space for teens to receive counseling, mentoring for life skills, and access to community resources.
As of September 2020, Denton ISD recorded that 516 children were experiencing homelessness. while 34 families and 398 individuals are struggling to find a stable home.
To learn more about Journey to Dream or volunteer, visit their website at https://journeytodream.com/.
RHA is holding another Helping the Homeless event on Friday, Nov. 6, at Guinn Hall from 12:00 pm-2:30 pm, where students will be wrapping up gifts for the holiday season.
Deanna West can be reached via email at dwest6@twu.edu.
Featured image courtesy of the Department of Housing & Dining.
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