Wittenberg’s Panhellenic Council conducted its largest ever philanthropic effort this semester to benefit the campus and surrounding community. Students involved in sorority life packed more than 1,000 bags of feminine hygiene products last month in the Benham-Pence Student Center. The bags were donated to the Rocking Horse Center and the Campus Cupboard with the help of campus partners at the Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Civic and Urban Engagement and women’s athletics. Students worked at stations stations to pack the bags containing pads, tampons, and hygiene wipes.
“We have been shifting the culture of the Greek community to be rooted in service, and we wanted to create something that the entire campus could be a part of,” said Mckenna Bruce, class of 2024, from Athens, Ohio. Bruce is the vice president of philanthropy in Wittenberg’s Panhellenic Council, a member of Kappa Delta, a student coordinator with Student Involvement, and a sport management and communication digital media double major.
“This is the most amount of money the Panhellenic Council has ever spent on a philanthropic effort, as well as our largest donation,” she added. “The extra products after the bags were packed were donated to the Campus Cupboard. Not only do we want to support the Springfield community, but our own students who need access to these products.”
The council spent $600 on the endeavor, while the Hagen Center added in $500 with the help of women’s athletics to buy approximately 5,000 products, including the bags.
"When people think about poverty, the focus tends to be on food or housing, and they forget basic supplies, including menstrual products,” said Rachel Scherzer, assistant director of the Hagen Center. “Simple projects like this not only provide for that need, but also show those receiving the items that someone cares about them."
Bruce started the idea in the spring and reached out to Rocking Horse about its needs.
“They talked about needing easy items to give out and the bags were a great way to do this, so we agreed on the project,” she said. “When we got back to school in August, I started planning and talked to women’s athletics and the Hagen Center to make it happen. Discussing it with Student Involvement and getting support from the Panhellenic community was the final part, and both were excited to support a cause they truly understand the need for.”
"This event has been a big goal for the Panhellenic Council as the group wanted to give back to our community,” said Jade Jones, director of student involvement and fraternity and sorority life. “I am very proud of the Panhellenic Council as it worked tirelessly to promote this philanthropic donation to the Rocking Horse Center. I want to give a special shoutout to our vice president of philanthropy, Mckenna Bruce, for building the connection with Rocking Horse and organizing the event. I look forward to seeing what our Panhellenic Council does next semester.”
