From Tamara Boatwright, Gordon College It took several trips for members of the Barnesville Fire Department to collect all the gifts donated to the Empty Stocking Fund Monday by the Gordon College staff and faculty. Boxes were placed in offices throughout campus and for weeks leading up to the annual staff and faculty luncheon gift items were collected. ’Everyone chips in and we are happy to give back to the community through the Empty Stocking Fund,’ said Staff Council President Todd Davis. ‘It is nice to know that Christmas morning will be a little brighter for some children of less fortunate families.’ Several Gordon College student organizations also got in to the spirit of giving. For months members of the Newman Club collected gift items for boys and girls of different ages and were able to fill and wrap 113 shoeboxes. The boxes were turned over to Impact Ministries and will be distributed to the children of less fortunate families. And while the Newman Club took the lead in the endeavor, faculty and staff of the Division of Math and Natural Sciences helped fill the boxes as did the members of the Gordon College Association of Nursing Students who members prepared 70 boxes. Meals on Wheels got a boost from a project in Alan Burstein’s Introduction to Business class. The students took out a ‘loan’ and purchased wristbands. They marketed the bands, set up ‘shop’ and sold the bands to fellow students. The business endeavor made enough profit to make a sizeable contribution to Meals on Wheels. The Brother to Brother Chapter of Student African-American Brotherhood provided a full Thanksgiving meal for two families through a local food bank. The students donated their own money and the club matched the contribution. The members then shopped for the food items. ’This was a wonderful opportunity for the young men of the club to be hands-on in their giving. This also taught them skills about how to plan and shop economically for meals,’ said Michele Perry-Stewart, faculty sponsor of the club. ‘Since most of the members are freshmen, this project gets them actively involved in civic engagement early in their academic futures.’ The young men also held a holiday party for the after-school children at the E.P. Roberts Center.
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