By: Eilis O’Neil | Staff Writer and Public Relations
We see fundraisers all the time via social media, newspapers, and flyers. Salve women’s soccer goalkeeper and sophomore, Jenna Park, took it into her own hands to start a fundraiser to help the homeless population throughout Rhode Island.
She started the fundraiser on December 14th, 2020 and it carried into the second semester of the 2020-2021 academic school year. When asked about her inspiration, Park told me a story about how driving through Providence on her way home from picking up her sister from work, she would pass by Crossroads.
“…there was no better place to start than to help the men and women she saw every day.”
“Seeing those experiencing homelessness braving the harsh winter weather and comparing it to what I had, I knew something had to be done,” she said. With the holidays in full throttle, she wanted to make a difference and thought there was no better place to start than to help the men and women she saw every day.
After consulting with her friend, Jenna put her mind to accomplishing this fundraiser. She started a GoFundMe Page and projected the idea to social media. Immediately, the Salve community and a few on the outside shared with everyone they knew, all while making donations of their own.
“The number of contributions was overwhelming. I was so beyond thankful and proud to see my college community rallying behind the fundraiser,” Park said with a smile. Because of the pandemic, other methods of fundraising would have been difficult, so she solely relied on social media and some networking to raise the funds.
Park did the majority of research, organizing, and planning. She told me how some people randomly reached out and gave her advice based on their own experiences. She also included how multiple of her friends assisted in shopping and dropping the supplies off at the different locations.
After reaching close to $3,000 in donations, Park headed to various stores to pick up what each shelter said they needed the most. Some necessities included: towels, sheets, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, COVID-19 relief kits, clothing, and much more.
Park and a few of her friends on different days dropped supplies off at Crosslands RI and the Amos House, both in Providence, as well as McKinney Shelter located in Newport, RI.
Because the experience was so rewarding, Park does have a few more ideas for more fundraisers. She is in the process of working out a few more ideas and the best ways to go about it. Be on the lookout for any more! Leave it to the Salve community to create a better place in the world, one step at a time!
