‘Tis the season

Liberty works together to bless the Lynchburg area

Every year, different organizations at Liberty University get involved in special drives giving back to the community for the holiday season. Many students take part in events ranging from a Thanksgiving food drive to the United Way campaign.

Christian Service Coordinator and Assistant Professor Darren Wu is in charge of overseeing many of the drives held on campus. He believes that student participation helps build character.

“For those that choose to participate, these opportunities help to shape their character,” Wu said. “They experience the joy that comes from giving. It enlarges their view of the world and opens their eyes to the needs around them, which helps them not to be self-absorbed.”

According to Wu, many of this year’s drives were successful. The Thanksgiving food drive resulted in 612 pounds of food collected for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. This is only the second year for the drive, and Wu hopes that student involvement will continue to increase in the future.

The food donated by Liberty will go to the counties of Bedford, Campbell, Appomattox and Buckingham. Sodexho and the Student Government Association (SGA) partnered to make this year’s food drive possible.

Wu said that past fundraisers and drives have been successful and that he hopes to have even better outcomes in the future.

“We’ve always experienced a good amount of participation and success with the Blood Drives and Salvation Army bell ringing,” Wu said. “The participation in the United Way campaign is not as high as perhaps other businesses or organizations, but that is perfectly understandable given the fact that most faculty and staff are active members of local churches who donate through that avenue.”

Although many students are encouraged to get involved in various activities through Christian service and academic classes, Wu hopes that more will choose to participate for personal reasons.

“These drives are important because they impact those that participate as well as those that are benefited from the participation,” Wu said. “Times are tough right now for many families. We should be moved enough with compassion to help others out that really need it.”

As Christians, scripture tells us to help those less fortunate, and Wu believes that these drives are a way to fulfill that duty.

“These drives help to meet the needs of our immediate neighbors as they are all local organizations,” Wu said.

There is still time to get involved. The United Way campaign for faculty and staff ends Dec. 17, and the Salvation Army bell ringing will continue through Dec. 24. To volunteer, contact Wu at dcwu@liberty.edu.