Season of Giving
There is no better way to end the year than to support the local community. Each year from November through December, students, faculty and staff have the opportunity to support local families and communities through several initiatives.
Thanksgiving Basket Drive
Each year, Carnegie Mellon students, staff, faculty, and organizations take time in November to give back to the Pittsburgh community. The Thanksgiving Basket Drive program provides our community with opportunities to learn more about local needs and to give back to our community partners. Giving back can occur through individual efforts such as making donations or volunteering time, or can occur through teamwork by committing to donate a Thanksgiving Basket to our community partners.
The Thanksgiving Basket Drive is a team-based program that challenges groups of people all around campus to commit to creating and donating Thanksgiving baskets for families in the Pittsburgh area. Each Thanksgiving basket contains all the ingredients needed to cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including favorite side dishes such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, candied yams, green bean casserole, and more. Once the Thanksgiving baskets have been created and collected, they are then distributed to our community partners so that they can provide them to local families during the holiday season.
Previous years, we have collected baskets for Sojourner House, Rainbow Kitchen, and Operation Better Block. This year, they are all returning community partners!
We are proud to support three community partners that work directly with individuals and families in Pittsburgh. Each of these organizations has its own unique mission and needs, and they all do amazing work to uplift various populations in Pittsburgh.
Operation Better Block
Operation Better Block aims to strategize, organize and mobilize to benefit the Homewood Community. They provide technical and community development assistance, foster youth development, participate in housing development efforts, support investments to stimulate economic development, and build cooperative partnerships with others to promote community sustainability. Their needs include food items and hygiene products. Monetary donations can be made online.
Rainbow Kitchen Community Services
Rainbow Kitchen Community Services is committed to improving the quality of life for low-income families and individuals through programs that address hunger, child nutrition and support services. Their needs include non-perishable foods and other household items. Monetary donations help keep Rainbow Kitchen’s doors open and allow them to provide services to our neighbors.
Sojourner House
Sojourner House provides compassionate, faith-based residential recovery services to mothers and children in the Pittsburgh area. They help mothers learn to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and chemical abuse while being surrounded by what matters the most to them: their children.You can support Sojourner House by making a monetary donation online.
Annual Toy Drive
SLICE supports the Carnegie Mellon University Police Department's annual Toy Drive every year.
This year, Campus Police is partnering with Hazelwood Cafe to collect toys for families in Hazelwood and Glen Hazel. Toys will be provided to children of varying ages and interests, with a focus on spporting middle-school aged kids.
We are accepting donations of new toys through December 8th of new toys. You can participate in the drive by either dropping off toys at the marked bins across campus or by purchasing a toy from the Amazon Wish List. Please be sure to ship it to the listed Gift Registry Address. All toys purchase from the wishlist need to be delivered no later than Wednesday, December 11.
Toys can be dropped off at the following locations:
The Cohon University Center
CMU Police Station
Mellon Institute Lobby
Warner Hall
Hunt Library
Tepper Quad
This year's Toy Drive is in partnership with Hazelwood Cafe, Arts Excursions Unlimited, Jada House International, Offroute Art, CMU Police Department, SLICE & Turner Construction.
