In the wake of the devastating Hurricane Helene, Clemson students felt an urgent call to service on their local community’s behalf. Across campus, leaders from all four councils from Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) and Clemson Undergraduate Student Government (CUSG) united to organize a week-long food and supply drive for the local nonprofit Clemson Community Care. The outpouring of aid and support was beyond what anyone could have imagined.
The drive ran from Oct. 2 through Oct. 9 and accepted a variety of necessities — canned goods, dry goods, toiletries, cleaning products, and more. In the end, more than 5,000 items were collected from nearly 200 individuals. First Lady Beth Clements dropped off a load of donations. Many organizations contributed, from ROTC to faith-based organizations to multicultural groups to varsity sports teams and clubs. The Clemson Sailing Club even delivered an unbelievable 850 servings of ramen noodles.
The idea sprung from the mind of junior political science major Dylan Odin, who currently serves as the director of philanthropy and public relations for Clemson’s Interfraternity Council (IFC). As a member of the University’s Student Alumni Council (SAC), he spent hours with a group of fellow students preparing home cooked lasagna for local families immediately after the storm. While he enjoyed making a small-scale impact, he and Jane Moore — a senior political science major, Panhellenic executive leader, and fellow SAC member — decided to aim higher. The decision made a world of difference.
Odin claims the donation drive was organized at “operation warp speed,” praising the incredible initiative of the involved student groups and leaders. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen everyone come together that fast,” he says, incredulously.
Odin is quick to give credit to the frontrunners of the service project: Mary Grace Flowers — Panhellenic vice president for philanthropy and service; Jalen White — National Pan-Hellenic Council president; Sydney Kornberg — Panhellenic president; Kellan Fenegan — CUSG president; Lauren Yoon — Multicultural Greek Council president; Abby Szlosek — Athletics Creative Solutions intern; Jane Moore — Panhellenic vice president for finance and administration; Charlie Kent — IFC vice president; FSL advisors and staff, and more.
Clemson Mayor Robert Halfacre is extremely grateful for the impact students have made on the local community.
“I’ve long said Clemson is special because of its people, and Helene reaffirmed that belief many, many times over,” he professes. “Small acts of kindness can make a huge difference for families, and it was awesome to see students do this over and over again.”
Vice President for Student Affairs Doug Hallenbeck visited with students and even helped pack items to transport over to Clemson Community Care. In all, student volunteers loaded the back of a U-Haul truck completely full, along with two truck loads and three car loads of food and supplies.
When asked his ultimate hope for the donation drive’s impact, Odin alludes to the general goal of philanthropy: to leave an area better than it was found. He specifically highlights his personal goal of “doing the most we can with our resources and our collective action to make it better for people who are really struggling right now.”