by The Cowl Editor on November 16, 2017
News
by Brian Garvey ’20
News Staff
Thanksgiving is often thought of as a time for family, food, and football. Yet, as we focus on giving thanks for our own good fortune, we forget to focus on those who are less fortunate. Not everyone can afford turkey, stuffing, and all the fabulous foods we have.
In an effort to focus on giving back while also giving thanks, the Smith Hill Community Development Corporation partnered with Providence College to introduce Dollar Day on Wednesday, Nov 8. The Smith Hill CDC provides up to 200 families with Thanksgiving dinners each year.
Dollar Day allows students to donate to the cause of providing quality Thanksgiving dinners to families living in poverty from the Smith Hill community. In an effort to make donation easier for students, donations were accepted in the form of cash or Venmo.
Dollar Day gets its name from its promotion; “If each undergraduate student donates at least one dollar, we can raise over $4,000 that can ensure more families are able to enjoy a warm Thanksgiving dinner!” Marlena Forrester ’18, a member of Student Congress, said, “We were able to get $445.47 from Wednesday alone and we were hoping to get this number up to $500 by the end of the week!”
Along with Dollar Day, the Office of Student Activities and Cultural Programming collaborated with other clubs to raise money to purchase canned and boxed goods for the Annual Thanksgiving Drive.
Forrester said, “This year we have gotten 40 turkeys donated by Sodexo, which is thanks to students participating in a mini-basketball game to potentially get a turkey donated.” Many students really enjoyed the message of giving thanks by giving back. Joe McDonald ’20 said, “I really like the idea of helping others. I love Thanksgiving, and the thought of families not being able to enjoy the happiness that it can bring is really sad. I’m glad I can help make a difference in people’s lives.”
For those who want to get involved in further donation, the Smith Hill CDC is holding a Turkey Drive on Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 231 Douglas Avenue.