Share the Warmth clothing drive seeks donations from the campus

To help kick off the Share the Warmth clothing drive in the International Lounge of Willard Straight Hall are: (on the left side, standing) Karen Gordinier, Campus Life; Ben Ross '02; Tammy Beeching, Campus Life; Tamar Melen '03; Susan Murphy, vice president for student and academic services; and Ken Mori '04; (and seated) Cindy Lockwood, Campus Life, and President Hunter Rawlings; (and on the right side) Elizabeth Rawlings; Sue Kim '04; Jonathon Hyde, Ecology House residence hall director; and Loralyn Light, for the Ithaca Rotary Club. Robert Barker/University Photography

Beginning Nov. 16, the ninth annual Share the Warmth clothing drive will take place throughout the Ithaca area, including the Cornell campus. Co-sponsored by the Ecology House, Alpha Phi Omega and Campus Life, all at Cornell, and the Ithaca Rotary Club and Catholic Charities, this project asks students, faculty, staff and Ithaca residents, during this Thanksgiving season, to contribute clothing they no longer use -- particularly winter clothing such as coats, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, earmuffs, thermal underwear, mittens, and boots -- to those in need.

Donation centers on the Cornell Campus include: all residence halls, the three community centers (Robert Purcell, Noyes and Community Commons), Willard Straight Hall, Morrison Hall, Big Red Barn and the Statler. In addition, a donation box will be placed just off campus at Collegetown Bagels. Donated clothing will be collected by Campus Life Housekeeping Services, under the supervision of Dale Walter, and by students on the Share the Warmth committee. All clothing will be delivered to Ecology House for sorting.

The Share the Warmth kick-off date for clothing collection in the greater Ithaca area is Nov. 24. Currently five Ithaca area donation centers include: Borg Warner Transmission Plant cafeterias, Center Ithaca, East Hill Plaza (location to be named), Pyramid Mall and Wegmans.

Cornell students and staff, working with local Rotarians and others, will sort the Cornell-donated clothing from 4-6 p.m., Monday, Dec. 10, at Ecology House. After sorting, with the help of Catholic Charities and other local service agencies, the clothing will be distributed to the homeless and the many Tompkins County residents in need of warm clothing this winter season. A warm-clothing giveaway will take place Dec. 12-15 at the Samaritan Center at Catholic Charities, 324 W. Buffalo St.

Last year over 7,000 articles of clothing were collected, and this year's Share the Warmth project organizers hope to surpass that total by reaching out to the entire Ithaca community in a collective effort to help those in need.