Daniel Webster College students “Make A Difference” with donation of “We Care Bags” to the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter 

 

Daniel Webster College’s Social Science majors, augmented by the Mental Health Awareness Committee, have made it their mission to participate in the annual “Make A Difference Day,” created by USA WEEKEND Magazine. The college has participated in the national program since 2000.

 

This year was no exception; in fact, it was “exceptional!” The two student groups from Daniel Webster received donations that surpassed their goal, and were able to create 268 “We Care Bags” and 122 new bath towels for their designated nonprofit, the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, a new record.

 

Donations were received through virtually every division of the college, including MBA students, the college president, raffles, a book sale, and from the coins and dollar bills thrown into a “Make a Difference Day” canister in the Daniel Webster bookstore.

 

Said Professor Susan M. Nicosia, from Daniel Webster’s division of social sciences and humanities, “It never ceases to amaze me how wonderfully supportive and generous the members of our college community are. We had an anonymous donor who matched a co-sponsor challenge from the Student Government Association; a social science alumna, Sarah Carey, who made a special trip back to the college to contribute $50; a staff member, Lorraine Sylvester, who ‘rallied the troops’ for more bath towels; and an engineering student, Chad Hebert, who coordinated the fundraising for engineering majors, who contributed 19 ‘We Care Bags.’ These are just some examples that make me realize how remarkable the people we work with are. We are truly blessed.”  All told, Daniel Webster donated over $6,000 worth of items through the “We Care Bags” endeavor.

 

Said Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter’s Carol Weeks, volunteer coordinator/community educator, “What Daniel Webster College students do make a real difference to our clients. Many of the bags will go to the homeless folks in Nashua and surrounding communities and others will go to individuals in our shelter. Daniel Webster students do a fabulous job every year. This year we’ve seen that the students put a lot of thought into what went in these bags. We are so very gratified and appreciative.”

 

The Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter (NSKS) is dedicated to providing shelter and food to those in need; The overall objective of the agency is to advocate, create and operate programs and services that promote dignity and self-sufficiency for those they serve. To ensure that basic needs are addressed, the NSKS is committed to joining with others in a community-wide ethic of caring.

 

Founded in 1965, Daniel Webster is an independent college with a primary focus on experiential learning. Daniel Webster College's nationally ranked degree programs in aviation are well complemented by its innovative programs in business and management, computer science, information technology, engineering, sport management, and social science. The baccalaureate degree in social science, conferred through the division of social science and humanities, is designed for students who share a humanistic interest in the contemporary issues and social problems that shape the lives of people in communities throughout America and around the world. A distinctive feature is its combination of a solid foundation in the social sciences with the specialized empirical skills that allow graduates to enter a profession after graduation or pursue graduate study, such as law.

 

Through its division of Graduate and Continuing Studies, Daniel Webster College offers an accelerated evening MBA program, a new online MBA for aviation professionals, a non-traditional evening air traffic control program, the EXCEL degree completion program, continuing studies, and a variety of certificate and distance learning programs. For more information, visit www.dwc.edu or call 603-577-6000.

 

Photo, from left: Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter volunteer driver Beau Bourgeois gets ready to load up the 268 donated “We Care Bags,” with students Paul Vallerand, Barre, VT; Adam Elwell, Waterbury, CT; Michael Stromsnes, Milford, NH; Deborah Regan, Tewksbury, MA; and Stephen Kelley, Auburn, MA, all members of the Mental Health Awareness Committee. Michael Stromsnes and Deborah Regan were also co-chairs as was Matthew DesRoche, Derry, NH (not pictured).