As sparse snowfall spilled onto the streets Saturday morning, many of those who are part of Bloomington’s displaced population took shelter at the Shalom Community Center. The day center was abuzz with activity as people washed their clothes, ate a warm meal or simply sat at a table to talk with one another.
But then something unexpected happened. The center’s door opened and a cluster of college students, each carrying an armload of paper bags, stepped inside.
Members of Indiana University’s Pi Lambda Phi fraternity delivered around 70 handmade care packages to those inside the center on South Walnut Street as an early Valentine’s Day surprise. Each care package had around $30 worth of items such as clothes, non-perishable food and personal hygiene supplies.
“Homelessness is not just a Bloomington problem. It’s not just Indiana or America — it’s an entire world’s problem. It’s a problem that’s bigger than ourselves. We’re just focusing on Bloomington and making an impact in our little college town,” sophomore Michael Morra, philanthropy chair of Pi Lambda Phi, told The Herald-Times.
The fraternity raised nearly $2,000 through GoFundMe, with 80% of the proceeds going toward purchasing the care package items and 20% being directly donated to the center.
In addition to the snacks and supplies, each care package had a detailed list of community resources that had been compiled by Pi Lambda Phi.
“(The list of resources) is kind of what I’m most proud of, that this can have more of a lasting impact than just the snacks or the deodorant or even the socks because some of them might eventually wear out. This is the opportunity for lasting change,” Morra said.
