Members of Capital’s Circle K chapter and the Catholic Student Organization (CSO) came together to assemble “kits” for a local homeless shelter in Columbus.
The kits were made up of items that are essential to everyday hygiene, including a hand sanitizer, a toothbrush, toothpaste, makeup wipes, a chapstick, a razor, deodorant, headbands, and a washcloth.
20 kits were assembled in total for the homeless shelter, and each kit included a handwritten note of encouragement from the Capital students that attended the event.
According to an article by The Columbus Dispatch in May 2022, “The number of homeless people in Columbus and Franklin County emergency shelters increased by more than 200 people since 2021 … In total, 1,912 homeless people were counted [in 2022], including 342 unsheltered people and 144 in transitional housing.”
When asked what service means to her, Circle K member Mackenzie Dobyns said: “Service to me means coming together to work for a greater cause and to have a positive impact on our community.”
Makayla Slee, another Circle K member, also chimed in: “I think it is sometimes really easy to take for granted what you have in life, and it’s just really rewarding being able to serve others.”
The president of CSO, Maggie Wright, and Gabrielle Ledbetter, the president of Circle K, decided to pool together their budgets so as to afford the items for the kits.
Gabrielle Ledbetter had this to say about the inspiration behind the event:
“We have always done [homeless] shelter kits … The previous Circle K president had told me that we donated to [this homeless shelter] last year, so that is why we chose [to donate] them [again]. I called the shelter asking if they were okay with these donations, and they were so thankful for them.”
The homeless shelter that will be receiving these kits is Faith Mission Shelter, located at 245 North Grant Ave. in Columbus. The Faith Mission website outlines their available services for the Columbus community:
“Each year, Faith Mission provides more than 83,000 nights of shelter to men, women and veterans and serves three meals a day to anyone who is experiencing homelessness. In addition, we offer case management, employment assistance and a health center to help clients overcome barriers to self sufficiency. The Community Kitchen at Faith Mission serves three meals a day to anyone who is hungry.”
If you or anyone that you know would benefit from the services that Faith Mission provides, make sure to contact Faith Mission directly or view this page on their website for further details on how to receive the help that is needed.
If you would like to somehow give a donation to Faith Mission, reference this page on their website to compile items or meals that are currently needed for their members.
To get more involved with community service opportunities on campus, Gabrielle Ledbetter suggests joining Circle K: “Almost every week we do a different, [small-scale] service project [for our community] … We would love to have more people if they would just like to come in to [one of our] service events.”
Students can join Circle K by connecting with their president by email at gledbetter3@capital.edu, or by visiting their Engage page to view when their next service events are taking place.
