The Mu Nu Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will host the fourth-annual Spirit of Giving week from Dec. 2 to Dec. 4.
Prior to the week of activities, the women will host toy drives from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center Nov. 24-25 and Dec. 1-3. They welcome everything from games to baby dolls to monetary donations.
Video by Jordan Crump, The Student Printz
The Spirit of Giving week was started by a former member of the chapter. This year, the event will take place over the course of three days. Dec. 2, at 7:13 p.m. they will be kicking off the week with “The RED Cinema.” The ladies will show a popular Christmas movie. Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., they will be hosting a wrapping party. Here, students will have the opportunity to help wrap the gifts collected during the toy drive. The last day of the Spirit of Giving week, the Deltas are hosting a community service event with the YMCA of Hattiesburg at 3:30 p.m.
“All of our events are welcome to each student on the USM campus,”said Raven Winding, the organization’s current program director. “We would be delighted to have everyone attend and come celebrate the joy of Christmas with us.”
“One of our main focuses this year is to collect teenage toys,” Winding said. “As well as collecting toys for boys and girls of all ages, which includes babies and high school students.”
In 2013, the women collected over 150 toys which they were able to distribute amongst 50 children.
Candanise Walter, Delta Sigma Theta’s former president, has enjoyed watching the event grow from year to year.
“Each year we strive to do better than the year prior,” she said. “We have donated hundreds of gifts and we want to turn it into thousands. We want to continue to challenge ourselves as well as the community around us to be a blessing to one another.”
Members of the organization are also expected to give toys and monetary donations.
“Being able to bring joy to someone’s life and easing their personal burdens is what we strive to do daily as Christian women,” Walters said. “Life is so unpredictable, so you never know when you’ll be needing that helping hand, and that’s what keeps us motivated.”
For more information on the Spirit of Giving, visit the Delta Sigma Thetas at their toy drive this week or contact Raven Winding at [email protected].
