FDU fall donation report: Students raise nearly $25,000 for charities

group of students volunteering a community food bank
Greek organizations at the Metropolitan Campus volunteer at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Student Life)

By Julie Kayzerman

A graphic that reads: "One FDU = One Community," $24,864 raised for charities, 73 organizations served, 24 causes helped, 24 acts of kindness. Fairleigh Dickinson Students Fall 2018, FDU"January 18, 2019 — Amid hundreds of pages read and dozens of papers written, Fairleigh Dickinson University students still found time to give back during the fall semester.

FDU students gave back this fall in more ways than one, using their free time to raise money for charities, volunteer in the local community, raise awareness about important causes and perform various acts of kindness.

The students at FDU’s Florham and Metropolitan campuses raised more than $24,864 for different charities and medical research causes. Of the money raised, $21,550 was donated to medical research foundations. They also volunteered at or served 73 different organizations, raised awareness for 24 causes and ran 24 different acts of kindness initiatives.

Here’s a full breakdown of how FDU made its mark this fall through giving back.

Donations

Medical Donations

  • Huntsman Cancer Institute
    • $4,000 raised by Sigma Chi Fraternity (Flor)
  • Breast cancer research
    • $1,700 raised by Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity (Flor)
    • $550 raised by Devils field hockey
  • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
    • $2,352 raised by Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity (Flor)
  • Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
    • $768 raised by Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity (Metro)
    • $350 raised by Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity (Flor)
  • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
    • $274 by Phi Sigma Sigma Fraternity (Flor)
  • Shriners Hospitals for Children
  • Alzheimer’s research
    • $1,521 raised by Phi Sigma Sigma Fraternity (Flor)
  • The Valerie Fund’s Camp Happy Times
    • $1,200 raised by Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity (Flor) to send children and young adults suffering from cancers and other blood disorders to a one-week camp.
  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma patient
    • $235 raised by Devils field hockey
  • Multiple sclerosis patient
    • $400 raised by Devils field hockey
  • Schambach Strong
    • $5,000 raised by Devils Athletics, spearheaded by women’s lacrosse, men’s lacrosse and field hockey to support the family of former assistant lacrosse coach Mike Schambach and his family during his fight with colon cancer.
  • Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
    • $1,500 raised by Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority (Metro)
  • Morristown Medical Center
    • $1,500 raised by Colleges Against Cancer (Flor)
group of students on a football field
Phi Sigma Kappa raises money for the Valerie Fund during its annual softball marathon. (Photo by Sherry Saccoliti)

Holiday Donations

  • Toy Run Foundation
    • 178 toys through a Florham Campus Life toy drive
      • 40 toys donated by Devils baseball
  • All Wrapped Up Holiday Giving Program
    • $775 worth of toys by all 19 programs of the Knights Athletics Department.
      • $340 raised by Knights baseball
  • Gift-giving
    • Metropolitan Campus senior Sixto Mahecha donated gifts to local children in a village in Cartagena, Colombia, for the holidays.
    • 40 toys donated to local children by resident assistants (Metro).
    • 100 toys donated to pediatric patients at Goryeb Children’s Hospital (Flor).
group of students in a grocery store
The Knights Athletics Department raises $775 worth of toys as part of the Bergen County All Wrapped Up Holiday Giving Program. (Photo courtesy of Knights Athletics)

Food Donations

  • Food runs to the homeless in NYC
    • Catholic Campus Ministry (Flor) hands out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, socks and water bottles to the homeless in New York City every month.
  • Office of Concerned Food Pantry
    • 392 canned foods donated by Knights Campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the accounting club and Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity.
  • Center for Food Action
    • 40 food care packages donated by resident assistants (Metro)
    • 30 canned food donations by resident assistants (Metro)
    • Hot cocoa cups donated by resident assistants (Metro)
    • Thanksgiving food drive hosted by the Criminal Justice Club (Metro)
  • Devils Care Pantry
    • Non-perishables collected to benefit the pantry through a drive by resident assistants (Flor)
  • Halloween Against Hunger
    • Non-perishables collected by FDU Rotaract (Metro)
group of students at a restaurant
Greek Life members at the Florham Campus partners with Catholic Campus ministry to feed the homeless in New York City. (Photo courtesy of Florham Campus Greek Life)

Clothing Donations

  • Market Street Mission
    • 300 coats, hats, scarves and gloves through a drive by Enactus (Flor).
  • Family Promise of Morris County
    • 200 items donated through a drive by resident assistants (Flor)
  • Shoes with Heart
    • Shoes donated through a drive by FDU Rotaract (Metro)
  •  Donatesports.org
    • Soccer jerseys donated by Devils women’s soccer
  • “Little Dresses for Haiti”
    • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Flor) cut and sewed dresses for young girls in Haiti who are affected by poverty.
  • Homeless Solutions in Morristown, N.J.
    • Items donated through a drive by the Psychology Alliance
  • Soles 4 Souls
    • 15 pairs of shoes donated by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Flor)

Care Packages

  • Local homeless shelters
    • Alpha Sigma Tau (Metro)
  • The Salvation Army
    • Resident assistants (Metro)
  • Greater Bergen Community Action
    • FDU Rotaract (Metro)

Animal Welfare

  • St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center
    • $220 by the Fairleigh Dance Project (Flor)
    • Clothing, blankets and towels donated by resident assistants (Flor)
  • Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter
    • Pet supplies donation drive by resident assistants (Flor)
  • Wands for Wildlife
    • Mascara wands collected by resident assistants (Flor)

Other Causes

  • The Trevor Project
    • $547 raised through a Color Run hosted by resident assistant Ricky Belizaire (Flor).
  • Pulsera Project
    • $1,097 raised by the Organization of Latin Americans (Metro)
  • Hurricane Florence relief
    • 800 clothes and non-perishable items through a drive by Devils men’s basketball.
  • Jersey Battered Women’s Services
    • $150 raised by Alpha Kappa Lambda Fraternity (Flor)
    • $65 raised by I Am That Girl (Flor)
  • Special Olympics
    • $240 by the Devils Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Devils Athletics Department.
  • Passaic County Women’s Center
    • Money raised by Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. (Metro)
  • Cranes for Cancer
    • 35 cranes donated by resident assistants (Flor)
  • Camp Friendship
    • $220 raised by Theta Phi Alpha (Flor)
  • I Support the Girls
    • Bras and feminine hygiene products donated to homeless girls and women by resident assistants (Flor)
student participating in a color run
Resident assistant Ricky Belizaire, BA’19 (Flor), hosts a Color Run, raising $547 for The Trevor Project. (Photo by Andrew Luminello)

Volunteer Work

Hunger Relief

  • Feed the City in Newark, N.J.
    • Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. (Metro) members served warm meals to the homeless on Thanksgiving.
  • Devils Care Pantry
    • Created by the Florham Dean of Students Office to aid students on campus who struggle with food insecurity.
    • Students from the Florham honors program helped with the planning process
  • Community FoodBank of New Jersey
    • Several Greek Life organizations at the Metropolitan Campus came together to sort through donations, package and prepare 150 boxes of food and basic necessitates for underserved communities in New Jersey.
  • Paterson Masonic Temple
    • Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. (Metro), Lambda Theta Phi National Latin Fraternity Inc. (Flor) and Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc. (Flor) gave out hot meals and warm clothes to the community on Thanksgiving.
  • Humble Beginnings Inc. Pre-Thanksgiving Community Dinner
    • FDU T.I.A.R.A. served food
  • First Baptist Church of Teaneck
    • Sigma Pi Fraternity (Metro) served food to the homeless.
students serving food
Members of the Metropolitan Campus Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. serves warm meals to the homeless in Newark, N.J., on Thanksgiving. (Photo courtesy of FDU Lambda Theta Alpha)

Disaster Relief

Knights bowling, fencing and softball help rebuild homes
Knights bowling, fencing and softball help rebuild homes affected by Hurricane Sandy through SBP. (Photo courtesy of Knights Athletics)

Community Service

students participating in a suicide prevention walk
The Metropolitan Campus Omega Phi Chi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. volunteers at an Out of the Darkness suicide prevention walk. (Photo courtesy of Omega Phi Chi)
  • Run Like an Amazon Virtual 5K race
    • FDU T.I.A.R.A. participated in the race to raise funds to empower women educationally and culturally.
  • Habitat for Humanity
    • Catholic Campus Ministry (Flor)
  • Goryeb Children’s Hospital
    • The Nursing Club (Flor) volunteered at the Action for Distraction 5K Skeleton Run for Bone Health Awareness and Research and a family fun day
  • College Admissions Process Program
    • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Flor) provided guidance and support to high school students during the college admissions process.
  • Summit Medical Group
    • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Flor) volunteered at Summit Medical Group during an open house to welcome families to the new facility and offer tours.
  • Eric Johnson House
    • Students in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences volunteered weekly in the transitional housing facility for people with HIV/AIDS, addictions or who are homeless. They assisted in daily service activities and engaged with the patients.
  • The Villa at Florham Park
    • Students in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences volunteered weekly at the senior assisted living center, helping with daily activities and engaging with the residents.
  • Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter
    • Zeta Beta Fraternity (Flor)
  • Healthcare service
    • Metropolitan senior science major Bailey Ports volunteered at a medical clinic in Quito, Ecuador.
    • Blood drive hosted by Sigma Pi Fraternity (Flor)
  • La Paula Health Care Services
    • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Metro)
students holding "Boys and Girls Club" signs
Knights men’s and women’s basketball volunteer at the local Boys and Girls Club Torch Run. (Photo courtesy of Knights Athletics)

Environment Cleanups

  • Campus cleanups
    • Metropolitan and Florham Campus resident assistants
    • Metropolitan and Florham chapters of Sigma Pi Fraternity
    • Green Club (Flor)
    • FDU Rotaract (Metro)
  • Loantaka Brooke Reservation
    • Sigma Pi Fraternity (Flor) and Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity (Flor) removed invasive plants and planted tree seedlings.
two students planting in a garden
Sigma Pi members volunteer at the Loantaka Brooke Reservation. (Photo by Ryan Silva)

Awareness Initiatives

  • Mental Health awareness
    • World Suicide Prevention Day and events to stop the stigmas surrounding race, gender and ethnicity hosted by Active Minds (Flor)
    • Mental health education promoted by Metropolitan and Florham Campus resident assistants and Devils SAAC.
    • Sigma Pi Fraternity (Metro) raised awareness for the Sean Vernon Felician Amazing Day Foundation.
  • Opioid crisis
    • Enactus (Flor)
    • School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
    • Sigma Pi Fraternity (Metro)
  • Breast cancer awareness
    • College Against Cancer (Flor)
    • Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity (Flor)
    • Devils field hockey
    • Knights softball
    • Devils football
    • Devils volleyball
    • Theta Phi Alpha Fraternity (Flor)
    • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Flor)
    • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Metro)
  • Black community
    • Black Solidarity Day hosted by Florham Campus Life
    • Nubian Ladies (Metro)
  • Transgender rights
    • I Am That Girl (Flor)
  • Body positivity
    • Nubian Ladies (Metro)
    • Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity (Flor)
    • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Metro)
  • Sexual assault awareness
  • Immigrant struggles
    • Omega Phi Beta Sorority (Flor)
  • Female empowerment
    • I Am That Girl (Flor)
    • Lambda Tau Omega Sorority, Inc. (Metro)
    • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Metro)
  •  Empathy
    • Omega Phi Beta Sorority (Flor)
  • Holocaust survivors
    • Hillel strung 6,000 paper clips together, with each paper clip representing 1,000 lives, to represent the six million lives lost during the Holocaust.
  • Dating violence
    • Alpha Kappa Lambda Fraternity (Flor)
    • I Am That Girl (Flor)
  • Child marriage
    • I Am That Girl (Flor)
  • Public safety appreciation
    • Sigma Pi Fraternity (Metro)
  • Ovarian cancer awareness
    • Knights softball
five girls with "Think Pink" sign
Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity (Flor) members raise awareness for breast cancer research during the month of October. (Photo courtesy of FDU ZTA)
  • Pancreatic cancer awareness
  • Multiple sclerosis awareness
    • Devils field hockey
    • Knights bowling
  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma awareness
    • Devils field hockey
  • Lupus awareness
    • Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority (Metro)
  • Kidney disease awareness
    • Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. (Metro)
  • Women’s wellness
    • Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority (Metro)
  • Personal care
    • Nubian Ladies (Metro)
  • Military appreciation
    • Devils football
  • Nutrition
    • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Metro)
Knights softball team links hands with matching bracelets
Knights softball spreads awareness for ovarian cancer. (Photo courtesy of Knights softball)

Acts of Kindness

  • Nice box
    • Hosted by Pay it Forward (Flor) every month to spread positive notes throughout campus
  • Friendly message grams
    • Resident assistants (Flor)
  • Kindness cards to residents at the Sunrise of Madison
    • Resident assistants (Flor)
  • Cards to the homeless
    • Resident assistants (Metro)
  • Cards to breast cancer survivors
    • Resident assistants (Flor)
  • Cards for children at Hackensack University Medical Center
    • Resident assistants (Metro)
  • Cards for the Young, Gifted & Black mentoring program in Newark, N.J.
    • Resident assistants (Metro)
  • Thanksgiving goody bags to local children
    • Resident assistants (Metro)
  • Goody bags for staff at FDU
    • Resident assistants (Metro)
  • Cards to patients at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
    • Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority (Flor)
  • Cards for Hospitalized Kids
    • Resident assistants (Metro)
  • Positive energy packs
    • Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. (Metro)
  • Goody bags for students during finals
    • National Society of Collegiate Scholars (Metro)
pay it forward box
Pay it Forward (Flor) runs a monthly “nice box” to spread kindness on campus. (Photo courtesy of Olivia Vliet)

Thank you cards for:

  • Active soldiers overseas
    • Resident assistants (Metro)
    • Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity (Flor) with Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity (Flor)
  • Veterans
    • Metropolitan and Florham Campus resident assistants
    • Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity (Flor)
  • FDU facility workers
    • Resident assistants (Flor)
  • Emergency Medical Services
    • Resident assistants (Flor)

Spreading Holiday Cheer

  • Christmas caroling
    • Sigma Chi Fraternity (Flor)
  • Holiday cards for children at Morristown Hospital
    • Resident assistants (Flor)
  • Holiday cards for local senior citizens
    • Pre-Health Society (Flor)
  • Holiday cards for troops overseas
    • Resident assistants (Metro)
  • Holiday cards to The Woodlands nursing home
    • Resident assistants (Metro)
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