Ashley Lovett
  • Sociology
  • Class of 2014
  • Marlborough, CT

Eastern Student Ashley Lovett of Marlborough Helps Give Back to Community

2011 Dec 8

Ashley Ashley '14 of Marlborough, CT, joined 25 other student volunteers on Nov. 23 to help Eastern Connecticut State University host its fifth annual "Day of Giving" Thanksgiving dinner for the Willimantic community. Diners included patrons of local soup kitchens and other social service agencies. Upwards of 500 local residents enjoyed the Thanksgiving meal, which took place in Hurley Hall. In addition, almost $2,500 was raised towards food contributions to local food pantries, and more than 5,000 canned goods were collected. Lovett is majoring in Sociology.

The Day of Giving was started by Jason Budahazy '09 in 2007, and his father, Jay, was on hand to donate more than 300 canned goods and help celebrate the festivities. This year, members of Eastern's student clubs People Helping People and Best Buddies, led by Center for Community Engagement (CCE) staff, organized the event. They enlisted community-wide support from Eastern's administration, housing staff, student clubs and organizations, Chartwells Dining Services, the Office of Institutional Advancement, the Windham school system, the Windham Housing Authority, Ted's IGA, the Willimantic Food Co-Op, Highland Park of Coventry, Plainfield's Better Value, East Hampton's Stop & Shop, the East Brook Mall, Main Street Café, the Lebanon Green Market and others.

Besides providing food, Chartwells also decorated the tables with fall-colored tablecloths and centerpieces. Staff, faculty, alumni and students served turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings to long lines of people and other volunteers served various pies from dessert carts as student musicians played in the background.

In addition to the Thanksgiving meal, a large-scale food drive took place in the local community as well as on the Eastern campus. All food items were donated to the Northeast Food Collaborative, which consists of local food charities such as the Covenant Soup Kitchen, Access Agency, Catholic Charities and others.

"Eastern's Day of Giving is a special event because it is student-driven," said Scott Nolan '12, a political science major from Windsor Locks and one of the coordinators of this year's Day of Giving. "It could not be possible without the help of several key professionals and crucial departments here at Eastern, such as the CCE under its director, Kimberly Silcox; Eastern's AmeriCorps VISTAs Brittney Cava '12 and Kristina Scherber; the student club People Helping People; overwhelming support from the University; and especially the ECSU Foundation, Inc., without which this event would not be possible."

"Eastern really stepped up," said Kate Harner '12, another event organizer, in describing how Eastern students doubled the on-campus food collection from last year. "I love just knowing that we made a difference."

"I walk into this room every year (for the Day of Giving) and I am always so proud that I am president of this great university," Eastern President Elsa Núñez told the crowd, "because really the (campus) community does this for the (local) community. For a lot of families, this is the only Thanksgiving meal they will have." Nunez continued, "Our students come to Eastern to study, but they also come to help the community."

"I am thankful to be part of a community like this," said Silcox, making the point that more than 25 students stayed on campus to help at the event rather than leaving early to go home for the holidays.