As the winter approaches, the student community service office has been collecting blankets for families in need.

Kicking off the blanket drive was “Jumpstart,” a program for incoming freshman during prowl. The freshmen cut up blankets and tied them together in various designs.

Blankets have been made during Homecoming weekend and drives through the local churches. The student community service office has this drive where they collect and make blankets in the fall semester and distribute them at the One Stop Community Christmas.

Crystal Brown, assistant director of the student community service office, said the blanket drive supports the One Stop Community Christmas program that happens each year. She said their office’s role in it is helping with the blanket table.

One Stop is partnered with different agencies in the community, and instead of going place to place for clothing during the holidays, those in need can find items like food, pajamas, toys and blankets there.

Brown said families sign up for the One Stop and walk through the event and stock up on the things they need during the holiday season. Brown said everything is free for the families and raised through donations received from the community.

Throughout the fall semester, Brown said the student community service office has made several hundred blankets. Dec. 4 is the deadline to collect blankets and get them turned in. She said during Homecoming week they collaborated with the family and consumer science department, and they also collected blankets during their Homecoming service day.

Brown said the drive makes people think about the bigger picture during the colder months. She said it has an educational value to it as well as keeping families warm.

“To some it might seem like just another donation drive like you do food collection or toiletries,” Brown said. “But it brings awareness of the greater needs of holiday season and our goal is help keep families warm.”

Brown said low-income families, and families and children at risk often do not have money to pay for the heating bill. She said it allows the office to do their part in keeping families comfortable during cold weather.

Brown has been working on projects like these all her time at Eastern, which is three years. She said the One Stop Community Christmas program has been going on for about six years.

“With everything else our students do to donate and help the community, this shows how much our students and campus community cares about their local community,” Brown said. “I think we do a great job with finding what the greatest need is at different times of the year as oppose to just doing food.”

Brown said a goal of hers is to try to have one blanket per child. The drive helps to service about 800 families across seven surrounding counties. Brown said the program tries to reach out to the neighboring churches of those counties to gain more support.

T’Nerra Butler can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]