In an effort to support families affected by domestic violence, second-year student Marie Johnson launched a donation drive in October 2024 after volunteering at Metropolitan Family Services over the summer. Witnessing firsthand the critical need for clothing, Johnson partnered with COD Cares to collect donations benefiting the local organization in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  The initiative quickly sparked a wave of generosity on campus. 

“I think that the impact we have as students and volunteers is imperative to maintaining a healthy and happy community,” Johnson said. “It brings a smile to my face knowing that there are so many people here at COD willing to volunteer their time to support the students’ ideas and initiatives. It is absolutely fantastic to see the community gather to support such an important cause, and knowing that we are helping change lives for the better is incredibly heartwarming.”

Through bins around campus, COD Cares collected shoes and clothing items throughout September and October 2024. These items went to families who receive assistance from Metropolitan Family Services, a nonprofit that focuses on helping families escape domestic violence and abuse. Excess items were then sold at a discount for those below the poverty line, with all funds going toward supporting Metropolitan Family Services’ future endeavors to help those in need. 

According to the Metropolitan Family Services’ 2024 annual report, they served 122,970 families and individuals as diverse as the communities in which they live, with 81% being part of the working poor or lower-middle class. 61,565 of those families were within DuPage County alone.  

“At the height of people’s awareness, it looked like the perfect time to give people the opportunity to help out those who are challenged with escaping abusive circumstances,” Johnson said. “With the help of my friends who helped me put up informative posters about the donation drive around campus, people were really inspired to donate to the cause.” 

The drive became a huge success, COD community engagement coordinator Joan DiPiero said. Filling a storage shed from top to bottom with various clothing items such as socks, pants, shirts and undergarments, they were able to give hundreds of new and used clothing to this local foundation. 

“Marie’s actions inspired a faculty member, political science professor Missy Mouritsen, who came to us and said, ‘I really want to continue this,’” DiPiero said. “‘How about doing a coat drive through the winter?’”

Through the College of DuPage Full-Time Faculty Association [CODFA], College of DuPage Adjunct Faculty Association [CODAA], and the Women’s Studies Committee, a coat drive will be in place throughout the month of November. These donations are also going towards the Metropolitan Family Services, where collection bins are scattered around campus.

“We’ve got, all of the sudden, everything’s coming out of the woodworks. All of the other student clubs are seeing, not only what Marie did, but seeing the need in the community.” DiPiero said. 

Student clubs like the Endowment for Future Generations [EFG] club are starting to collect socks and host various sales throughout the month.

“It’s becoming more of a culture on the campus,” she said. “People are doing things more nowadays because they feel the need and they know how special it is to give and receive this time of year, even if it’s sometimes hard to do so.” 

Founded 10 years ago, COD Cares is a campus initiative modeled after corporate giving campaigns, encouraging students, faculty and staff to collaborate on large-scale service projects. The program organizes and leads community outreach efforts throughout the year. Their most recent initiative, ‘A Gift of Giving’, is running through the beginning of November until Dec. 10th This year, she said, the impact has been exponential. 

“Being a community college, we serve the entire community, not just the students that are on campus or online,” DiPiero said. “The community is our campus, so to speak, so we’re always reaching out and seeing what we can do to support.”

As the string of donation campaigns nears the end, she’s optimistic the impact already made will reflect the generous spirit of the COD community and inspire continued support in the future.

“It is astounding, gratifying and heartwarming that the generation that’s coming through COD now has this altruistic view on the world. They’re going to give back what the world’s given them, threefold, fivefold. It’s just wonderful.” 

To learn more and get involved with COD Cares, email [email protected] or visit their website for event information.