USF Sarasota-Manatee gives back for MLK holiday
Students at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus came together ahead of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, collecting hundreds of personal hygiene items for the local homeless population to honor the civil rights leader.
The USFSM Honors College participants included students and faculty who demonstrated their altruism ahead of the MLK holiday by sorting and packing hygiene items for more than 150 individuals in need.
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Items included soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand sanitizer, razors and deodorant – packed into plastic bags. The items were collected on the campus starting in December.
Darren Gambel, assistant director for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, distributed the items between Turning Points, a Bradenton-based homeless resource center, and the Salvation Army near downtown Sarasota on Friday.
“The whole campus really came together,” Gambrell said in a news release. “We received more items than I expected, but that doesn’t surprise me. USF always steps up when it comes to reaching out to help others. That’s what this campus is about.”
USF's main campus in Tampa also hosted MLK Day of Service happenings for students in and around Hillsborough County on Friday.
“It feels good helping people,” senior psychology major Brandie Teachey said in the release. “It’s a nice way to give back.”
Samantha Gholar Weires covers social justice news for the Herald-Tribune and USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at sgholar@gannett.com or on Twitter: @samanthagweires
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: USF hosts MLK Day of Service event that gives back to the homeless
