Students collect supplies for tornado relief

Students sort clothing at Piano Row for their tornado relief clothing and supplies drive.

After hearing the dreadful news about major storms and tornadoes in the South tearing up homes and towns and killing hundreds of people, Katie Johnson ’11 and Corey Starbuck ’12 wondered what they could do to help.

“We were talking about how devastating the tornadoes were,” said Starbuck. “After awhile, we realized that we could continue to talk about how bad it was or do something about it.”

Starbuck and Johnson hatched a plan to rally their Emerson peers just before move-out. On May 6, they organized a clothing and supply drive in the Campus Center to aid disaster victims. They collected donations from several offices on campus in order to cover shipping costs. The participating offices included the Health and Wellness Center, Student Life, SGA, Greek Life, and Off-Campus Student Services.

“Facilities told us that they always find closets full of stuff that people leave behind after move-out,” said Johnson, who stood in front of a growing pile of packed boxes. She was expecting just 50 pounds of items, but by the end of the day they had far surpassed their goal. “We figured the things students were throwing away could go to the people in the South who need it,” Johnson continued.

The students raised more than $900 and an estimated 40 boxes will be sent to Five Points Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.