The BW Student Senate has partnered with Berea City School District’s Titan Love and Care program to hold a supply drive throughout the month of February that will support BCSD’s most economically vulnerable students.  

The drive will provide essential clothing and hygiene products to students in need. To donate, items should be bought from the TLC Room wish list on Amazon.com and shipped to 390 Fair St., Berea, Ohio 44017.  

Derek Larner, a student senator and first-year political science major, said all donations will be sent to the BCSD’s Board of Education building, but students can also send donations to BW for the Student Senate to handle if that makes them feel more comfortable.  

Managed by BCSD’s counseling department, the TLC program sets up rooms with various supply items and allows Berea students to confidentially shop for their basic necessities in order to improve their overall health and wellness.  

“They’re looking for gloves, hats, scarves, mittens — anything just to keep them warm throughout what has been a pretty cold winter so far,” Larner said.  

Larner said that in addition to helping students in need, this drive serves as a great opportunity to integrate the surrounding communities with the work done at BW. Community outreach events like this one strengthen community relationships and build trust with organizations outside of the college.  

“Berea is a very tight-knit community, I think as a lot of us have seen,” Larner said. “I think it’s just cool to see us as older college students getting to work alongside so many other people from different backgrounds to make a difference.”  

As for the future, Senate Academic Affairs Chair Brenna Holliday said that she hopes to see more school supply drives just like this one in addition to other community outreach events.   

“This is something that we kind of want to keep doing throughout the years,” Holliday said. “We also just want to do a lot of community service around here with local organizations, and a lot of people reach out to us, so we just want to take as many opportunities as we can.”  

Holliday said that outreach events, such as the supply drive, are BW’s way of repaying the communities that have always helped the university.  

“The communities do a lot for Baldwin Wallace,” Holliday said, “so it’s just good to give back and do as much as we can for the people who support us a lot.”  

While the Student Senate does not have a set number in mind for the amount of donations they hope to receive, they are focusing on getting as many donations as possible from those who are in the position to give.  

“We just appreciate any help that the student body — as well as the faculty — can provide in making this a success,” Larner said.   

To contribute to this program, students can access the link to the Amazon Wish List on flyers around campus or through the link provided in the bio of @bwstugov on Instagram.