MSCC Provides Clothes, Toys to Kids at Three Elementary Schools

Mid-South Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society chapter has made the holiday season much brighter for students at Faulk, Jackson, and Weaver elementary schools in West Memphis.

With a generous response from MSCC students and staff, Phi Theta Kappa provided more than $700 worth of Christmas cheer to children in special needs classrooms at the three schools. PTK collected dollars, spare change, and direct donations for about a month to help put smiles on the faces of more than 50 West Memphis-area children.

Honor society members and other campus volunteers gathered Tuesday, Dec. 16, to wrap presents for the youngsters. MSCC representatives, as well as Santa Claus, went to the schools on Wednesday, Dec. 17, to deliver the gifts. PTK member Laura Buralli participated in the gift distribution, and fellow member Robin Abbott devoted time to the organization’s fund-raising effort at the basketball concession stand and helped to prepare the gifts for the children.

At each stop, children spent time talking to Santa (a.k.a. Kelly Bearden, MSCC Advanced Manufacturing/Machining instructor) about their year and what they wanted for Christmas before opening bags of gifts.

Jody Fenter of the West Memphis School District assisted with the effort by providing needs, wants, and clothes sizes and doing the shopping for the project.

MSCC has now worked with Fenter for four straight years, helping to bring a little extra cheer to local youngsters.

“While Phi Theta Kappa is recognized around the globe as the honor society for two-year institutions, we think in terms of ‘honors in action’ at Mid-South Community College,” said Beta Epsilon Psi Chapter Co-Advisor Dr. Michael Lejman, a history instructor at the College.

“Efforts like this help us all gain a greater understanding of the great needs in our community. Many of us are guilty of taking the bare necessities of life for granted, but we’re helping kids who don’t always have what they need, let alone what they want. This project gives us an opportunity to bring smiles to their faces.”

“We’re very pleased with the response from our students and staff, and we’re excited and honored to have the opportunity to reach out and help,” added said Dr. Sarah Mercer, Phi Theta Kappa co-advisor, who serves as a Contextualized Science Specialist at the College. “It’s great to work at a place where people see a need and pull together to meet it.”

“Everyone at MSCC responds generously and enthusiastically any time we take on a worthwhile project,” said Michelle McMillen, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, who also provides advisory assistance for the MSCC PTK chapter. “It’s fun and humbling to be involved in this kind of activity.”
MSCC has participated in a variety of holiday benevolence efforts in recent years, including Toys for Tots, Koats for Kids, and Clothe-a-Kid.

Mid-South’s Phi Theta Kappa members are involved in numerous projects to benefit the campus and the community. Their efforts have ranged from plastic bag and book recycling to collecting food for those in need.

For information on PTK, other student organizations, or academic/technical programs at the college, visit the campus at 2000 West Broadway in West Memphis, call (870) 733-6728, email admissions@midsouthcc.edu, or access the website at www.midsouthcc.edu.