Community Support Needed for CNU’s Refugee Clothing Drive

Drop off donations during drive-thru event on campus tomorrow
Christopher Newport University (CNU) prides itself on being a welcoming, warm place for all. They are asking the community to help extend this inviting, accepting spirit beyond the 757 by providing immediate comfort and relief to the thousands of Afghan refugees being resettled in the Commonwealth. Virginia is the new home for more than 6,500 Afghanistan refugees. Over 2,100 are children and the numbers will grow in the coming weeks. Nearly all have come to America with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Virginia is their first stop on the long road to resettlement, and we have the opportunity to welcome them to our state and country. CNU’s Center for Community Engagement is hosting a clothing drive to benefit the refugee families who are being housed at resettlement barracks on military installations. Families will stay at these locations, most within a two-hour radius of the Peninsula, for nearly a year while awaiting relocation. The need for fall and winter clothing and shoes is tremendous and immediate. All ages/sizes/seasons of clothing and shoes are needed, including baby and children’s items. Items must be new or clean and gently worn (no unintentional holes, rips, stains or smells, please). Clothing, shoes and outerwear have been specifically requested, along with new packages of socks and underwear and sealed packages of feminine hygiene products. Donations of toys, games or puzzles will also be accepted. Please, no toy weapons (e.g., nerf guns). CNU is collecting donations from students, faculty members, and staff, and invites community members to donate during a drive-through event at the entrance gates of campus this Tuesday, September 21 from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Follow the signs through the roundabout to find student volunteers ready to accept and thank you for your donation. If you are unable to attend the event, you can drop your items off at a collection bin on campus or submit an online request for staff and student volunteers to come pick up your items. Help extend the welcoming spirit of CNU and Newport News to all! Drop off donations tomorrow and be part of this important movement in our city. For additional information on local agencies supporting current refugees in Hampton Roads, visit the Commonwealth Catholic Charities website. To learn more about CNU’s campaign and to get involved in other ways, visit the Center for Community Engagement webpage.