Cleveland State Faculty, Staff and Students Spread Holiday Cheer

Holly Vincent
Tuesday, January 3, 2017 9:55 AM
All, Students, Employees

CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Cleveland State Community College has been busy spreading good cheer this holiday season throughout its five-county service area. The college had a variety of projects and services the faculty, staff and students were all involved in throughout the community.
“We pride ourselves on being the college that always puts community first,” stated Dr. Bill Seymour, CSCC President. “This is particularly evident during the holiday season as our students, faculty and staff act to help others in so many ways.”
The Department of Service-Learning sponsored the H.O.P.E. (Health, Opportunity, Protection and Encouragement) Center's Children's Advocacy Center of Bradley County for the fourth year by placing their Christmas Angel Tree on the first floor of the Career Education Building on the CSCC Campus. This year, a second tree was placed at the CSCC Athens Center for faculty, staff and students there, as well.
The H.O.P.E. Center is one of CSCC’s Service-Learning Community Partners. They serve people in Bradley, McMinn, Monroe, and Polk counties whose lives have been affected by violent abuse in their homes. The Children's Advocacy Center specifically serves child victims of sexual abuse and their families. This year's Angel Trees included cards for 50 children and youth (ranging from newborn to age 17) being served through the Children's Advocacy Center, whose families are experiencing financial difficulty.
“This is the fourth year that the college has partnered with The H.O.P.E. Center to help provide a fun and happy Christmas for their children,” stated Sherry Holloway, Service-Learning Director. I am so impressed with the super generous Cleveland State employees and students! As usual, the Cleveland State family rallied around the Cleveland and Athens Angel Trees! All 50 Angel cards were selected, and every child received wonderful gifts of clothing, shoes, coats, hats, gloves, socks, underwear, toiletries, toys, books, games...even bedding, a bean bag, and a real guitar! The H.O.P.E. Center staff who picked up the gifts were beyond happy and expressed their heart-felt appreciation for the magnitude of Cleveland State's giving. I echo their appreciation by saying 'thank-you' to everyone who donated their time and money to this important initiative!”
CSCC’s Human Services/Social Work Program, organized and participated in their 5th Annual Free Store Event at the Reba Powers Boys and Girls Club Unit located on Lay Street. Associate Professor Jana Pankey asked that faculty, staff and students donate basic necessities, and then her students in the Family and Children’s Services class distributed such items to the residents at the complex. The event was open to all Lay Street Apartment Complex residents to receive needed items free of charge.
Pankey said, “This was a great event, and we were able to distribute hundreds of items and food to the approximately 120 people who were in need of basic necessities. This year, we also had Christmas caroling, gift wrapping, an appearance by Santa Claus and refreshments donated by local merchants.”
Each year, the CSCC Staff Senate provides Christmas gifts to the residents at nursing homes in the CSCC service area. This year, the Staff Senate adopted 18 nursing home residents at Bradley Healthcare and Rehabilitation of Cleveland.
Staff Senate President Andy Foskey said, “Employees from all over campus came together to provide some Christmas cheer for the residents. Staff member Larry Burns personally delivered the gifts during the nursing home's annual Christmas celebration and said they were delighted to receive the gifts and would like to return the favor and do something special for those who donated.”
The Medical Assistant Student Association (MASA) had three service projects this past semester. They hosted a canned food drive for The Caring Place, collected hats for cancer patients at Tennessee Oncology, as well as items to donate to the Ronald McDonald House Wish List. The Ronald McDonald House provides a “home away from home” for families with critically-ill or injured children and supports programs that improve the health and well-being of children. The House serves 26 families each night.
CSCC employees and students also assisted with several holiday initiatives in the Polk County region including building a playground for the Benton Boys and Girls Club of the Ocoee Region and participated in helping at the People Helping People Coat Giveaway in November and the People Helping People West Polk Empty Stocking Fund Christmas Party held in December. People Helping People is an organization founded to provide assistance and comfort, without discrimination or monetary gain, to anyone in time of distress. This includes single parents, elderly, individuals just released from jail, victims of domestic violence or people who have gotten a job where special clothing is required.