窪做惇蹋厙-Meridian students, faculty and staff gather toiletries and gifts for local charities and Ugandan orphanage
December 9, 2011
Melody Glasscock stood in a corner of Room 506 at 窪做惇蹋厙-Meridian, counting tubes of toothpaste and travel-size containers of lotion, shampoo and dental floss. She wasn’t complaining.
���I���m surprised, overwhelmed and humbled by the support,��� said Glasscock, a speech-language pathology student. ���Counting the items is really a blessing,���
In another corner of the room, Gabriel Bargen and Susan Schaffer separated boxes of soap, deodorant, combs, razors and other hygiene products into smaller piles.
���For me, it helps me give back to my community. I feel blessed for what I have,��� said Schaffer, an administrative assistant II in the College of Pharmacy and chair of the 窪做惇蹋厙-Meridian Holiday Committee. Barden, an audiology professor, is also on the committee.
The two spearheaded the toiletry drive with help from the 窪做惇蹋厙-Meridian chapter of NSSLA, the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association. Glasscock counted a total of 4,161 items which will be donated to local charities and delivered to the Nsumba Orphanage in Uganda.
���The children will be thrilled with such ���luxurious��� items as their own personal shampoos, soaps and lotions,��� said Judy Thorne, 窪做惇蹋厙-Meridian���s HIV and viral hepatitis educator. Thorne, a member of a Boise medical team treating children at the , will deliver the items in February.
In addition to the toiletry drive, the Holiday Committee organized a silent auction and raffle that netted $1,162 to buy gifts, food baskets, holiday meals and food cards for three needy families in the Treasure Valley. Local merchants, museums and concert houses donated the auction items.