Volunteers from across campus gathered at Duncan Student Center on Saturday, January 20, to sort and package 600 personal hygiene and winter care kits as part of Walk the Walk Week, an annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The kits included toiletry and winter items—purchased with money collected from students during a residence hall-based fundraising competition in November and December. The volunteers also made blankets, wrote personal notes for the care kits, and sorted donations from faculty, staff, and men’s and women’s basketball fans.
Now, in the hands of local nonprofits, the care kits and other items will be distributed to individuals and families in need in the South Bend-Elkhart community.
“We’ve been working very hard throughout the entire academic year on a service project where we can really benefit the South Bend community because we see ourselves as one community,” said Daniel Jung, Notre Dame student body president. “And what we found was a high need for these care kits in the community.”
As a Catholic institution, service is central to Notre Dame’s mission, as outlined in the University’s strategic framework. With support and encouragement from campus leaders, Notre Dame students, faculty, and staff routinely collaborate with local nonprofits.
“I’ve been so impressed throughout my term as president with the heart of service that I see in our students and our faculty and staff. It speaks volumes about Notre Dame as an institution where we really do care about all of our brothers and sisters in the community,” Jung said.
More than 80% of Notre Dame students participate in service. Thank you to everyone who gives to Notre Dame—through your generosity, you contribute to an education that teaches students how to use their gifts and passions to be a true force for good.