The GW community has come together to help those in need after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.
The Student Association’s Points to Help program, which allows students to donate meal points to charity, has raised almost $1,000, said Alice Lingo, SA vice president for community affairs.
Students can donate points in $5 increments at Provisions Market, SA President Roger Kapoor said.
The program began Sept. 19 and will be extended one more week, Lingo said. The amount of money raised “shows student support,” but organizers hope to get a couple thousand more dollars, she said.
Aramark will purchase food and supply items with the profits. Lingo said the SA will give them to Salvation Army for workers in New York and Virginia.
The SA is also providing American Red Cross canisters for students to give spare change or bills, Lingo said. They can be found in various residence halls, the SA office and Student Activities Center office.
“Students need a way to be proactive as a way of healing,” Lingo said.
The SA is also planning to put a 10-foot card in the Marvin Center for students to sign, Kapoor said. The card will be sent to New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
The Muslim Student Association is another campus organization helping victims of the recent disaster. The group estimates they raised $1,000 from a donation box put out at the yearly MSA barbecue Sept. 22, MSA Vice President Sanam Nowrouzzadeh said.
The proceeds went to the New York City Firefighter Fund, she said. Nowrouzzadeh said she hopes having a fundraiser at the barbecue demonstrated the MSA’s condemnation of the attacks.
“What we are worried about most is people associating what happened with Muslim or Arab culture,” she said.
The Greek-letter community is also contributing to the relief effort. During last week’s fraternity and sorority recruitment, members took part in a donation effort called “Operation Greeks Give” for students to donate money at rush events, said Rich Fisher, president of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Each fraternity and sorority has its own group to which they will contribute.
Giving blood is the most beneficial way for ordinary citizens to help. The SA planned to hold a blood drive Oct. 27, but it was cancelled because the Red Cross was receiving too many donations, Lingo said. A drive will be held Dec. 10 and every semester to support increasing needs, she said.
The American Red Cross takes walk-in blood donations, but recommends donors call ahead. The closest blood bank to the GW campus is at 1915 I St.
-Katie Warchut contributed to this report.
