Students and Faculty Build House, Donate Food to Spread Holiday Cheer
11/21/2013
Contacts: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu, Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
* Media Advisory *
Friday, Nov. 22 and Monday, Nov. 25
What: Two community service projects embraced by UMass Lowell students, faculty and staff are helping families throughout the community celebrate this Thanksgiving.
Home construction: UMass Lowell volunteers will lay the flooring and install tile at a house being built by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell. They will work alongside the home’s eventual owner.
The work – organized by Kimberly Chao, a UMass Lowell Honors Program student from Chelmsford who is majoring in business administration – is part of an ongoing effort by more than 30 students and four faculty members from the university’s Manning School of Business, Accounting Society and Francis College of Engineering to help build the house. UMass Lowell volunteers will be working at the site Friday, Nov. 22, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Thanksgiving food donation: More than 50 UMass Lowell students will provide holiday food to more than 300 families in need through baskets that will include a gift certificate to Hannaford supermarket, stuffing and gravy mix, vegetables, cranberry sauce and a dessert.
Food for the baskets was donated by UMass Lowell students, faculty and staff and the public through a campus-wide collection held over the last few weeks. Coordinated through the Food Pantry of Merrimack Valley, which determines the recipients, the annual drive is conducted through the UMass Lowell Office of Residence Life, Student Activities, Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Campus Ministry. UMass Lowell volunteers will assemble baskets Monday, Nov. 25, 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Where: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell home, 53-55 Rock St., Lowell; Thanksgiving food basket preparation, UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell. For directions and parking information, contact UMass Lowell media relations.