A new program at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø has collected almost 20,000 pounds of clothing and household items and nonperishable food items to benefit persons in need.
The items were collected through IUP Community Cares, an end-of-the-academic year donation drive whose purpose is to help students and other members of the IUP community recycle and reuse unwanted items.
The project was organized by the IUP Office of Housing, Residential Living, and Dining (Division of Student Affairs); IUP Facilities Management (Division of Administration and Finance); the Environmentally Conscious Organization (ECO) student group; and Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability student organization (SEEDs).
A total of 45 bins of material—clothing and other household items, totaling 18,225 pounds of donations—were collected for Goodwill Industries, and 1,000 pounds of nonperishable food items were collected for various food banks within Indiana County, directly serving our community, including Indiana County Community Action Program (ICCAP), Chevy Chase Community Center, St. Thomas Moore University Parish, and Zion Lutheran Church.
Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley, Inc. provides job training, employment support, and rehabilitation services to individuals with disadvantages and disabilities, dislocated workers, youth, and other job seekers.
Photo: From left; Val Baroni, IUP assistant director of housing operations; Sandy Beck, vice president of IUP-AFSCME; Kelsey Craig, IUP graduate residence director; Michael Mann, IUP recycling coordinator and safety coordinator; Dan Oatman, representing Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley, Inc. Other individuals who worked on the project, but not present for photo, include Leroy King, IUP custodial supervisor; and students Amy Binion, SEEDs; and Tia Kordell, ECO.