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CCU embraces Adopts-A-Family

Nicole Slatky's capstone project ended up feeding more than 100 families a Thanksgiving Day dinner.

Coastal Carolina University faculty, staff and students responded to the student's project, Adopts-A-Family, initiated in early November to help families in need.

Here’s how it worked: Individuals volunteered in groups and pledged to feed a family for Thanksgiving. Volunteers made baskets for families with one to two members to baskets for a family of nine or more members.

The food baskets had a turkey and all the fixins' for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

The goal was to adopt a minimum of 35 families, but Slatky was thrilled that more than 100 families benefitted from the food baskets.

The idea to bring the Adopts-A-Family philanthropy to CCU originated in Slatky’s capstone course, where students learned they would be required to perform an act of civic duty.

Slatky worked with CCU’s coordinator of Civic Engagement & Orientation, Jordan Smith, and coordinator of leadership & civic engagement Nick DeStefano.

“Nicole has laid the groundwork, so it is my hope that we can continue to provide families with Thanksgiving meals for years to come,” says Smith. “Become a tradition? I believe that the tradition will be that the CCU family steps up for our neighbors, and this is just ‘what we do,’ so I can definitely see it becoming a tradition.”

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