“Northeast Serves” came about from an idea we have participated in at our APCA (Association for Promotion of Campus Activities) conference that we attend every fall,” said Carissa Kollath, director of student activities at the college. “The Student Activities Council provides multiple events each week for the student body, but we wanted to incorporate an opportunity to give back to our local community beyond the Spook-tacular Children’s Carnival at Halloween we do every year.”
Kollath reached out to local agencies and organizations to ask what they may need and she has received a great response each year. This year, students, faculty and staff created coloring kits for foster children through Behavioral Health Services, hygiene kits for Bright Horizons, greeting cards for residents of Heritage of Bel-Air, breakfast buddy bags for Meals on Wheels recipients, appreciation packets for members of the Norfolk Police Division and Norfolk Fire Division, and chew toys and enrichment toys for the Animal Shelter of Northeast Nebraska, Puppy Love and Furbaby Rescue.
Kollath said they chose September 11th because it is a national day of service and remembrance, and a day when so many want to take time to give back to others. Those who took part in the “Northeast Serves” event created items at one of six stations in the College’s Paradise Courtyard.
“The students love creating items, whether its coloring a sweet message on a breakfast buddy bag or braiding a chew toy for dogs in shelters. We ask that they do a minimum of three of the six projects to earn a free t-shirt, but the students who participate almost always want to do all six projects to help our community. This generation really has a spirit of service and we are glad to provide them with an opportunity to help our fellow citizens.”
In addition to Northeast faculty and staff, and the Student Activities Council, other donors and sponsors of items of Northeast Serves are Bellevue University, Chartwells (Northeast’s food service provider), Divots, and the Northeast college store, Hawks Shop.
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PHOTO CUTLINE
Northeast Community College students McKenna Klosen, Dodge, (left) Reba Waskowiak, Stanton, and Shelby Fisher, Norfolk, make dog chew toys for the Animal Shelter of Northeast Nebraska, Puppy Love and Furbaby Rescue as part of the college’s “Northeast Serves” event. They joined over 275 other students, faculty and staff who took time Wednesday to participate in a national day of service and remembrance project on Patriot Day, which is held in memory of the people killed in the September 11th attacks in 2001.