Honors students help Red Cross

It is good to know that there are families out there that won’t go to bed hungry.

That’s what Irene Little, Red Cross emergency program director, said after receiving a donation of approximately $800 to Mount Pleasant’s American Red Cross food pantry on Thursday.

Little said she could not begin to express her appreciation to students of Associate Director of the Honors Program Judy Idema’s HON 100: Introduction to Honors class.

“Central has been excellent to us this year,” Little said.

The Red Cross has helped about 130 families a month. But this figure has risen to about 220 families.

“This has been the most unusual year I’ve seen,” Little said.

To remedy the shortage, the Student Government Association, the Volunteer Center and UAW Local 6888 collected donations for the pantry.

Idema’s class organized six teams to raise funds for the pantry. Each team was responsible for conducting a fundraising project that varied from bottle collections to taking out trash.

“I am pleased and proud of what students have accomplished in such a short period of time,” Idema said.

Little said the substantial donation is enough to supply meat and dairy products to about 50 families.

“We are very grateful for the donation,” Little said.