Canned food and socks can be dropped off in the Honors College Office. Donations are going to the Baldwin Center, located in Pontiac Michigan.

The Baldwin Center’s mission is to feed, clothe, educate and empower the men and women of Pontiac according to their website.

The Honors College Association and Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD), the freshmen Honors College are using a friendly competition as a motivational tool to encourage more participation. The winner receives a pizza party held in Vandenburg Hall — and bragging rights.

A friendly competition

“We shuffled around a few different ideas but we decided to go with canned food and socks,” Farha Hanif, president of ALD said.  “Each year, they do holiday food baskets to over 600 families. We are in the holiday spirit and will be collecting cans and socks during November and the beginning of December for their baskets.”

In some cases at the Baldwin Center, people have one pair of socks to last them the whole winter.

“Honors College saw a need for socks for the Baldwin Center,” Liz Lawyer, president of Honors College said. Those socks get wet and cause frostbite and eventually they have to get amputated.”

The deadline to drop items off will be on December 2.

“It’s a totally friendly competition,” Hanif said. “Working with HCSA has been great.”

Alpha Lambda Delta

“It feels great there is only so much you can do alone,”Hanif, president of ALD said. “To provide others an avenue to give back feels amazing. It’s fulfilling to know you’re helping so many people help others.”

The ALD accepts the top 20 percent of students in their freshman year.

“We are an honor’s society focused on charities and community service,” Hanif said.

Last year ALD members helped in the soup kitchen in Baldwin Center and made a whole day dedicated to helping out.

This year in December they will be going to Sunrise assisted living to make gingerbread houses for the seniors.

For more information check out their Facebook event page or stop by the Honors College located in the bottom floor of Vandenburg Hall.

Contact Staff Reporter Kailee Mathias at [email protected]