USU Moab Students Deliver Packs of Love to Those in Need

MOAB, Utah — Students, staff and faculty at Utah State University Moab put on their Santa hats throughout the holiday break, supporting the Packs of Love service project. The project raised money and collected items that could be distributed to children in need.

USU Moab, along with their local ambassador, teamed up with the Grand County Children’s Justice Center and Kindness for Kayj, a local annual initiative that honors the memory of a local family’s son and seeks to spread love and kindness.

New clothing items, toys, toothbrushes, school supplies and monetary donations were all collected. These items were put into backpacks, which were distributed to those in need via the Children’s Justice Center.

“My family does a Kindness for Kayj initiative every year to honor our boy’s birthday,” said Laici Shumway, tech ed coordinator at USU Moab. “We were looking for ways for our ambassador program to get involved in a service project for the community, and our director of student services, Samantha Campbell, had a connection with the Children’s Justice Center. All of these things fit our goals for this year’s project, and it took off.”

Contacting the Children’s Justice Center and brainstorming ideas, the director, Andrea Noyes, mentioned that they previously had had backpacks donated for children. This idea sparked the initial thought of filling backpacks with things children need, and the Packs of Love project was born.

USU Moab staff, faculty and students began flooding social media and the community with fliers, soliciting donations. Donations were collected from mid-November through December. In all, volunteers collected more than $1,200 in donations. The ambassadors were able to fill 20 backpacks full of clothing and other items for children. The backpacks were then delivered to the Children’s Justice Center to be distributed.

“The outpouring of support and love from the community was truly moving,” said Campbell, associate campus director. “It is our hope that it helps the children receiving services from the Children’s Justice Center to not only have the essential items that they need but also to show them that they are valued and loved.”

The following thank-yous were posted on the Children’s Justice Center Facebook page:

“We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the Shumway family in honor of Kindness for Kayj, the students of USU Moab, and the entire community for their incredible generosity and kindness. Their donation to the Friends of the Grand County Children’s Justice Center is nothing short of amazing– backpacks filled with clothes, hygiene items, toys, water bottles, school supplies, and, most importantly, love to support children in need in our community.

“What a beautiful project and heartfelt contribution! The Children’s Justice Center is deeply thankful for the extraordinary people in our community who come together to make a difference. Thank you for showing these children that they are cared for and supported. We are forever grateful we live in such an incredible and supportive community!”

Located in the outdoor recreation paradise of Moab and boasting one of the greenest buildings on any USU campus, Utah State University Moab offers students the personalized attention and small class sizes of a small-town college with the resources of a large university. With programs such as Nursing, Elementary Education, Recreation Resource Management and Social Work, technical education in Health Professions, Automotive and Business, and degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees, USU Moab offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at moab.usu.edu.