Volunteers sought for ‘Pack It Up, Pass It On’

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
April 20, 2009

Faculty, staff, students, departments and organizations at Texas State University-San Marcos are invited to support the 8th annual Pack It Up and Pass It On.

The Texas State Community Relations Department and the Department of Housing and Residential Life have teamed up with United Way of Hays County for the ‘re-use” event that provides on-campus residents and employees a way to “recycle” items they no longer need to needy San Marcos residents.

The Texas State Residence Hall Association conducts a food drive benefitting the Hays County Area Food Bank during the same period, collecting donation from students before they move out of residence halls.

“Working together, on-campus student residents provide hundreds of pounds of food and thousands of good items for local residents who can really use the assistance. It’s also great that we are able to divert so much from landfills,” said Tommy Luna, president of RHA.

Collection barrels will be placed in each residence hall and university apartment complexes April 27. Texas State students donate clothes, shoes, books, carpets, linens, kitchen items or anything else reusable and in good condition until final move-out May 13.

“It’s true recycling. Pack It Up and Pass It On matches unwanted items that students normally throw away at the end of the semester with local needy citizens who can use them,” said Community Relations Director Kim Porterfield.

Students, faculty and staff are invited to “adopt” a residence hall, committing to daily pick-ups of donated items from their adopted hall and delivery to designated storage units on campus.

From there, volunteers help sort the collected items and place the items in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom at the Texas State University campus, which is set up into a giant garage sale where United Way of Hays County agency clients can “shop” for free.

Volunteers are needed for sorting on Friday, May 22; Tuesday, May 26; and Wednesday, May 27 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and on Thursday, May 28 at 6 a.m. for the distribution.

Off-campus students, as well as community members and university employees are invited to bring their unwanted items in good condition to the LBJ Student Center Ballroom on May 22, May 26 or May 27 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

To find out how you can help with this year’s “Pack It Up and Pass It On,” call Texas State Community Relations at (512)-245-9645 or visit www.txstate.edu/community.