The UBalt Community Stands Together to Deliver Positive Change
November 23, 2022
Contact: Office of Advancement and External Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
At a time of year when giving is top of mind, The University of Baltimore community knows how to deliver.
Various student organizations have been running donation drives to support the greater Baltimore community and their peers.
"In this ever-changing world, now more than ever, we need leaders to step and shape change," says Nikki Singleton, president of UBalt's Women of Color Student Association (WOCSA). "Students should step up to lead efforts like these. We are helping to shape the narrative for the future."
Omicron Delta Kappa students, part of the National Leadership Honor Society's UBalt chapter, have been running a collection to support the University's Campus Pantry. The Campus Pantry receives food donations from Maryland Food Bank, so non-food items are important to meet additional needs. This includes items such as toiletries, eating utensils, cooking supplies, menstrual products and baby items.
The Campus Pantry supports all members of the UBalt community, including students, staff, and alumni. More donations are welcome; learn more about supporting the Campus Pantry.
Here's a look at some of the other ways student groups are supporting their community this fall.
Toys For Tots Drive
UBalt's Criminal Justice and Forensic Science Society, an organization that brings together students from two programs, will host a Toys for Tots Drive in December.
Ashley Abaté, the group's president, says this is the new UBalt organization's first toy drive and that they hope to make a tradition.
"Many of us have relied on our community in the past and now it is our turn to give back," she says. "Immersing ourselves in the very community that supports us, helps us as students to close that gap. Learning about the very people we will serve after graduation will in turn help us be better members of society and strong leaders."
The Marine Toys for Tots Program collects new, unwrapped toys to distribute to less fortunate children for the holidays.
A designated collection box is now available in the UBalt Student Center. Direct questions to Abaté at ashley.abate@ubalt.edu.
Baby and Youth Drive
The Women of Color Student Association has an ongoing Baby And Youth (B.A.Y.) Drive to collect needed items for parents of small children. The group hopes to meet the needs of those who struggle to meet them themselves, Singleton explains.
"There are always targeted drives, however, very few focus specifically on a wide variety of needs that children can face," she says. "From diapers to T-shirts, socks to books, we want to be a support however we can."
Looking ahead, WOCSA has another youth-focused venture set to launch in spring 2023. The group is partnering with the YMCA of Central Maryland to run a mentorship program for girls ages 10-16. To learn more about WOSCA and the B.A.Y. Drive, contact Singleton at shaniqua.singleton@ubalt.edu.