The MSU School of Packaging collected 100 gifts for underprivileged children in the Lansing area solely through the effort and generosity of its students.
Sherrie Lenneman, the school’s administrative assistant, said this Christmas season she aimed to fill 100 Angel Gift Tags, or gift requests for needy children from St. Vincent Catholic Charities. She planned to disperse the tags among staff and faculty members and decided to reach out to the School of Packaging student groups as well.
The school’s three student groups —Pi Kappa Gamma, CoPPAC and the Packaging Graduate Association—promoted the idea, and within two days all 100 of the tags were in student hands. All of the gifts were funded and shopped for by students, and none of the Angel Gifts Tags ever reached the hands of an MSU employee.
The gifts now lie beneath the Giving Tree in the Packaging Building.
“Putting gifts under the Giving Tree was important to the School of Packaging because the students were able to feel a sense of connection to the child receiving the toys,” said Shelby Curlew, vice president of Pi Kappa Gamma. “The Giving Tree gave an opportunity to give back to the Lansing community and we took it.”
Gifts will be distributed by members of the student groups during the upcoming holiday break.
“Our students are extremely busy right now studying for their final exams next week, but they found time to give back.” Lenneman said, “I’m so extremely proud of them for their unselfishness.”