The holiday season is a time to both give and receive, to assist those who may be less fortunate, and improve the lives of others. In accordance with the true holiday spirit, Project Yes You Can, a club here at Fairfield University, will be hosting a Toy Drive through Dec. 3.
Project Yes You Can is a club dedicated to aiding those whose lives contain many obstacles and roadblocks. Junior Margaret Moore, the club’s founder, describes the goal of the club as, “reaching out to the community to work with cancer patients, disabled people, and the general community, focusing on bringing positivity into these people’s lives and teaching them how to overcome obstacles to achieve their life goals.”
Moore has large plans for the future of Project Yes You Can, stating, “We have brought in a national motivational speaker to talk to Fairfield students in the past …we plan to host similar events and service projects in the future.”
According to Moore, the Toy Drive is partnered with Yale-New Haven children’s hospital. Those looking to make a difference can drop off new toys that can be easily sterilized for sanitary purposes in the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola lobby. In addition, collection bins will be set up in each of the residence halls. Plush toys, including stuffed animals, will not be accepted as they can not be easily sterilized.
Some students who have donated to the drive shared with The Mirror why events like these are significant. “It is important for others to give, especially during the holiday season, to those who are not fortunate enough to spend Christmas at home,” said Sofia Sena ‘19, the programming specialist for the Residential Housing Association, an organization partnered with Project Yes You Can.
In addition to the Toy Drive, Project Yes You Can will also be partnering with the Fairfield University Student Association for the Santa’s Workshop on Dec. 5. The goal of this event is to bring students together in the Lower Level of the Barone Campus Center to make fleece blankets for the kids at Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, Mass.
“The Toy Drive provides students an opportunity to give back to their community, an idea that is valued by the Jesuit University we attend,” said Ryan Harrington ’19, a member of the FUSA senate.
Further information on the Toy Drive and other upcoming events can be found on Project Yes You Can’s page across multiple social media platforms such as OrgSync, Facebook and Instagram.
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