Help needed: CCU works to "Set the Table" for area families

Coastal Carolina University senior Morgan Gardner and the Office of Civic Engagement are looking for community-minded faculty, staff and students to help less fortunate families in the area with its “Setting the Table for Spring” collection project. The deadline for signing up is Monday, March 9.

For the project, people are asked to make a “basket” filled with nonperishable food and household items for families ranging from one to six people who are struggling financially during the Easter/spring time.

Setting the Table used to be called Baskets for Bunnies, but the name was changed to make the message broader than just the celebration of Easter. It is CCU’s fourth semester running the program. In the past, an average of 75 individuals, offices and organizations have donated, but so far this semester only 15 have signed up, so there’s a great need for more generous donors and volunteers.

Gardner, who is coordinating the drive as her senior capstone project, hopes to have 100 baskets for Setting the Table for Spring since there are more than 200 student organizations on campus.

Partnered with AME Apartments and Catholic Charities in the Conway area, Setting the Table is seeking items such as canned food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, kids’ toys, school supplies and Easter candy. Once the deadline closes, more details will be provided for more custom baskets to be made for families.

“I have been using the skills I have learned at Coastal and applying them to this service work,” says Gardner of her experience. “It is eye-opening to see how good we actually have it.”

To register, complete the “Setting the Table Intent Form” on Coastal Connections at https://coastal.collegiatelink.net/form/start/61145.

Please consider donating items that most of us take for granted, but would make a difference to our neighbors in the area. Our hope is that together we can share the compassion of the Coastal Carolina family with hundreds of people this spring.

The Office of Civic Engagement is located at the Student Union under Student Life.

For more information, contact Morgan Gardner at 803-288-3535 or by email at mpgarnder@coastal.edu.