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Community Service

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Service to the surrounding community is one of AOP’s fundamental objectives. The organization currently engages with the community through the following projects.

Current Initiatives

Coats for Comfort

November 4th – 28th

As the colder months approach, many international students at our university may not have the winter outerwear they need to stay warm. Coats for Comfort is a community service project designed to provide jackets, coats, socks (new), scarves, and other outerwear to support them during the season. All donations will be cleaned and distributed to international students.

How You Can Help:

• Donate: We are collecting gently used jackets, coats, and scarves, as well as new socks and other winter outerwear. Coats can be dropped off in Scianna Hall, SC 2035.
• Spread the Word: Know an organization or department that would like to host a donation box? Let us know!

Help us provide warmth and comfort to our international community! Last year, we were able to collect over 40 garments. To get involved or to arrange a donation box, please contact Crystal Tolible at Crystal.TolibleFREEMississippi. 

 

Embracing Our Elderly 

Now Accepting Donations

We know that seniors in our area are in need. In Fall 2023, AOP provided some holiday cheer as well as necessities to seniors in a local nursing home, thanks to the generosity of its members and the 51¶ºÄÌ Miss community.

If you would like to support these efforts for the Fall 2024 semester, you can donate at the link below:

 

Snacks for Support 

Now Accepting Donations

Imagine having to undergo grueling chemotherapy. You are scared. You may be alone. You are faced with many unknowns. Will chemo help you? Will it make you sick?

One way we can show our support is through a donation to the Forest General Cancer Center Snack Fund. The Forest General Cancer Center provides free snacks to those undergoing treatment. At a time of unpleasantness, patients of the Cancer Center receive the pleasant surprise of a cookie or chips to nurture them physically and emotionally and distract them from what otherwise can be a stressful and debilitating experience. Help us support this wonderful initiative that shows those undergoing treatment that their community cares about them. This small gesture might be the only good thing in a patient’s day.

 

Cards of Caring

Dates and Additional Information Coming Soon 

Human caring is essential to mental health. During the holiday isolation, a lack of interaction can be especially harmful. To avoid this, we reach out each year to seniors and veterans in our community to let them know we care about them, especially during the holidays. 

Ongoing Initiatives

North Star Rescue

North Star Rescue in Lucedale, Mississippi, is in crisis right now, facing an overwhelming number of abandoned animals. If you can, please open your home to one of these friends in need. If you can’t adopt, we hope you’ll help in another way.  

Past Initiatives

Homebaked for the Holidays

Working with the Wesley Foundation and Sigma Alpha Lambda, the USM Association of Office Professionals distributed home-baked cakes and cookies to USM’s international students who are staying in Hattiesburg for the holidays. The program helps bring joy to those far from home. We hope we made your holidays a little brighter! (photo courtesy WDAM)

 

Cans for Collegiates Campaign

Food insecurity is a reality. We need to help our students succeed.

AOP put out the call, and people responded. In November 2023, we delivered several boxes of food to the Eagles Nest Food Pantry on the Hattiesburg campus. Thank you for helping to make this food drive a success!

 

Blessings in a Backpack

AOP would like to thank everyone who donated cash and/or items for our Blessings in a Backpack initiative in Fall 2023. We were able to help many of our international students who might otherwise have had to do without important school supplies. Look at those happy faces!

 

USM Food Pantries

Help combat food insecurity any time by donating to one of our campus pantries.

Hattiesburg Campus Pantries

USM Eagle's Nest
Located across from the stadium ticket office in the Union
Open Monday. Tuesday & Wednesday, 10 am to 2 pm 
For more information call (601)266-6028.

The Eagle's Nest Food Pantry needs volunteers Mondays and Wednesdays from 
10 am to 2 pm and some Tuesdays.  For more information, see The Eagles Nest Food Pantry webpage. 

Eagle's Nest Food Pantry

NOTE: The Eagle's Nest Food Pantry is also in need of recycled grocery bags.

 
Wesley Foundation Pantry
Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm
For more information email usmwesley@gmail.com. 

USM Wesley Foundation

 

Gulf Park Pantry
Open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm 
For more information call 228.214.3341, or email gulfparkpantryFREEMississippi.

Gulf Park Pantry

 

Resources for Finding Volunteer Opportunities

Center for Community Engagement

Need Our Help?

If you have a community service event you would like our committee to help staff or need help publicizing your community service, let%20us%20know.  We are here to help each other.